


One Step Ahead

by SkySophes



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Mind Control, Season 3 AU, Season 3 Episode 1 "Rapunzels Return", What-If, third incantation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 22,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22033402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkySophes/pseuds/SkySophes
Summary: What if Eugene had held Cass back in Destinies Collide?Season 3 AU.Zhan Tiri needs a new plan, and tries to get into Cassandras head. Rapunzel sees that something is wrong with Cassandra, and tries to help her.
Relationships: Captain of Corona's Guard & Cassandra (Disney), Cassandra & Ghostly Girl (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Varian (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra & Zhan Tiri (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Rapunzel, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Rapunzel & Varian (Disney), Varian & Xavier (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 79
Kudos: 194





	1. A little step

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first Tangled Fanfiction :D  
> English is my second language, so please tell me if I made any mistakes.  
> This was supposed to be a one-shot, but I'll maybe do more if the feedback shows that you want more.  
> Some of this is probably out of character, but this is also my first time writing for tangled so please don't judge to hard ,_,  
> Hope you can enjoy this anyway :D

They made it. They were seconds before this journey would be over for good. Eugene, Rapunzel and Cassandra were in the chamber with the Moonstone. The rocks made a bridge for Rapunzel, and now has the time come for her to get her destiny. She looked back and smiled at Cass, and decided that if she wouldn't survive it, she might as well say goodbye.  
"Look, I know these last few months haven't been easy for us," Rapunzel took Cassandras hands in her own, and looked her in the eyes, " I wanna thank you, for everything." She couldn't hold herself back, and hugged Cassandra.

Cassandra didn't hug back. If it was because of the surprise or the personal space thing didn't matter for Rapunzel right now. "Okay Rapunzel, it's time."  
Rapunzel walked back to Eugene, who took her hand, "This is it Rapunzel. Now go get your destiny." He smiled at her, and she kissed his hand and took it to her face, "I love you." Eugene kissed her head and Rapunzel gave Pascal a little pet.

She walked towards the Moonstone, which "case" opened when she reached it. She was about to take it, when she heard a thumb and Eugenes voice behind her, "What do you think you're doing?!" She turned and saw Eugene on top of Cassandra. "Cass? Eugene? What are you doing?" Rapunzel turned back from the moonstone and walked over to Cassandra and Eugene.  
"Cass suddenly ran after you, or towards the moonstone..." Eugene held Cass with all his might under him, while she tried to get up.  
"Why would she.... Cass is he right?" Cassandra stopped struggling. "Cass, please."  
Cassandra didn't look up or said anything. Eugene pulled Cassandras arms behind her and held them together in a strong grip.

They went out of the room. The others were waiting for them, and once they came out Adira walked over. She raised an eyebrow at them, "So, you didn't take the moonstone?"  
Rapunzel shook her head, "No, not yet..."  
Eugene was tying up Cassandra with a rope, just in case she'd went for the moonstone again. "Cass wanted to take the moonstone."

Adira looked at them and then back to Rapunzel. "You can go now. We will watch her."  
Rapunzel wasn't sure anymore. She didn't understand why Cass would do something like that... but she wanted to understand, and for that she needed Cass to open up. But she knew how hard that can be.  
"Go get it Blondie, we'll still be here afterwards." Eugene was done with the ropes and gave Rapunzel a little kiss. "Alright. I'll do it..."

A bright glow. Then nothing. And then everything was back to normal. Everyone was out for a second, but nothing exploded and no one screamed. Eugene ran back into the moonstone chamber, and found Rapunzel lying on the floor. The only difference was that her hair was back to her short brown style.  
He ran towards her and carried her bridal style out of the chamber.  
But then the rocks began to recede. And the whole castle was made out of the rocks.  
The first thing Eugene heard when he ran out of the chamber was Adiras voice, "We need to leave, now!"  
Edmund and Adira led the way out of the castle. Eugene carried Rapunzel while Lance took Cassandra, who still hadn't said anything.

Once they reunited with Maximus, Fidella and Shorty, they ran for the cliff. They searched for a way over, but couldn't find one. Then Max neighed, and pointed towards the sky, where a hot air ballon came flying down to them. The Black Rocks under them were starting to recede, and without a second thought, everybody jumped into the hot air ballon as soon as it landed. The person who flew the ballon was no other than Ulf. The ballon was really cramped with all of them on there.

They started to take off just in time, and Rapunzel was the first to break the silence, "Ulf! Oh thank god you're here!" She hugged him and he returned the hug. "Wait, why are you here?"  
He began to explain, but in mime. "Allow me to translate." Shorty stepped forward, and began to translate.  
"There's trouble in Corona. Invaders from a foreign land! The people of Corona are scared, so Ulf followed the rocks here."

"Alright Guys, we need to get back as soon as possible. Adira, Edmund, are you coming with us?"  
Adira shook her head, "No, my path has changed and my destiny leads elsewhere. Not with you."

They landed again when they made it out of the Dark Kingdom, and Adira and Edmund left the Ballon. Lance said his goodbyes to Adira while Edmund said goodbye to Eugene.  
Meanwhile, Rapunzel was alone in the Ballon with Cass.  
"Cass, I don't know what led to this... but, I just want you to know that you can talk to me. Whatever it is."  
Cass didn't reply, so Rapunzel started to turn back.  
"I'm sorry."  
Rapunzel turned back, and looked at Cassandra. She sat there, still tied up. She didn't look up, instead focused on the floor of the ballon. "I... I'm angry. But I don't know at who I'm angry at... I.." she stopped, and Rapunzel leaned forward and hugged her. "It's okay, but for now, we have a kingdom to save."  
Cass nodded, and Rapunzel untied her.  
Cass stood up, "I need to tell you something..."  
"So then gang, everybody ready?" Eugene hopped back into the ballon, "Now who untied you, Madame Ice Demon?"  
"I did Eugene. Everything is fine." Rapunzel took Eugenes hand, and once everybody was on the ballon, they headed for Corona.


	2. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Crew returns to Corona, but soon find out that everything is not as it should be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello,  
> I finally got enough motivation to make a second chapter :D  
> I don't know when the next chapter's gonna be finished, but I'll try to post it asap.  
> This chapter follows the events of S3 E1 "Rapunzels Return", but with Cass and Short hair Raps.  
> I'll start making more changes to the canon after this chapter, and I have already planned a few things :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter :D

The rest of the balloon flight was calm and mostly silent, occasionally they'd talk about what they missed the most and what they looked forward to. Rapunzel missed her parents. that wasn't a surprise to anyone, and the others had similiar things. Lance was happy that he'd have a comfartable bed.

They could see the palace in the distance, and landed gently on the market place. The streets were empty, if you didn't count the rats.   
Eugene stepped out first, "Finally! No offense to any of you people," he opend the ballon so that the others could step out, "but we have been together for way too long and I need a break from your faces. Except for you of course Rapunzel."  
"I can't believe how much I missed home! Home!" Rapunzel started running through the street with a smile on her face, "Ah, how I've missed everything so much!"

She started going to almost every shop, like the Bookstore and the Sweetshop.  
"You know what I missed about Corona? The people!"  
Lance looked through the market, where everything was dead silence.  
"In fact... I'm still missing the people." It was then that everybody noticed the awkward silence.

Cass looked suspiciously over the streets, looking for any sign of life. Rapunzels smile faded, "Yeah, that's weird...Hello?"  
She called a few times, no response.  
Suddenly Feldspar came out of nowhere and tripped. A bucket full of green Crystals fell on the street.  
Rapunzel went to him to help him picking up the Crystals. "Feldspar?"  
"Oh, princess! Thank goodness your back." They stopped picking up the Crystals, "Where is everyone?" she asked.  
Feldspar looked fearful and started to explain that everyone in Corona has been forced to mine these Crystals.  
He picked up the last Crystals and put them in the bucket.

Rapunzel stood up and looked to Ulf, "Did you know about this?"  
He nodded in return.  
"I don't believe it. I'm going to the castle to speak with my father."  
The crew started heading towards the castle and Feldspar stood up, "I don't know what good that will do. Your father is the one who gave the order."

On their way to the castle their worry grew worse. "I don't get it, why would my father do this?"  
Eugene put a hand on her shoulder, "I don't know Rapunzel, but we'll find out."  
Cass noticed the lack of guards. She knew Corona hadn't got the best guards, but there were at least always some on patrol. "Where are the guards?"  
Lance shrugged, "Maybe they're all at the Castle?"  
Cass shook her head, "There are always at least two at the entrance."   
They entered the Castle and noticed that there weren't guards anywhere. 

They opend the door to the throne room, and saw the King and Queen sitting on their thrones.  
"Mom! Dad!" Rapunzel started running towards them, "Oh you guys, I have missed you so much!" She hugged her mother, who didn't return the hug.  
The others noticed the lack of reaction from Rapunzels Parents, but didn't say anything.  
"Uhh Frederic?" Arianna looked confused at Rapunzel, who was now hugging her father.  
"Young lady, please."  
"Young lady?" Rapunzel took a step back, "Dad, what's going on?"

The others were standing back, not wanting to interrupt the strange welcoming. "Uh.. this is awkward...." Lance rubbed his neck and avoided the gaze of Frederic.  
Cass noticed the medallion on Frederics Neck, "Is that..."  
"Saporian."

They turned around to see Andrew standing in the doorway.  
"Hey Cassie, didn't think I'd see you again..." The door opend completely and more criminals walked into the room.  
"I'm gonna be completely honest like I remember you, but I don't remember you, does that make sense?"   
Cass answered before Andrew had the chance, "That's Andrew. He wanted to steal the Journal of Herz der Sonne on the day of hearts."

Eugene piped up, "Oh, the one you dated? Less attractive than me guy with the man bun, yes I remember you now."  
The criminals started walking towards them, "I've taken over Corona, or as we now refer to it, New Saporia!"  
They took out their swords and Cass and Eugene followed.  
"I'm sorry but you man bun guy and your flower children took over Corona? Well this can only take a minute--"

Suddenly a potion was threwn right at Eugene and Cassandra, who where engulfed in a pink mist.  
"Guys!" Rapunzen ran towards them, and the mist slowly began to recede.  
Their feet were covered in pink goop, "What the...?" Eugene tried to get out of it, but was stuck.

Andrew chuckled, "We didn't do this alone. You might recognize my former cellmate."  
He looked in the direction of the pink mist, which almost completely receded.  
"Welcome home, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel gasped and Cass held her arm protective in front of her. Varian certainly looked a little different. He had a goatee, which looked a little off. He was also taller, almost as tall as Rapunzel. "Oh, I see you've already met my new friends." He walked over to Andrew and the rest.  
"Ah Varian, my most trusted advisor." Everyone turned around, shocked to hear those words from their King.

"Uhh Mom, Dad? Don't you remember what he's done?" Rapunzel was confused. Her parents didn't recognize her, but trusted Varian?   
She turned around again when she heard Varian laugh, "No, no they don't."  
A small women showed them a wand in her hand.

"The Wand of Oblivium? You erased the memories of the King and Queen?" Cassandra, still stuck in the pink goo, looked as angry as she sounded.  
"Yes, today the King and Queen, tomorrow Corona." Varian started explaining how he'll use the Wand to make a Gas, that'll erase the memories of everyone in Corona.

"I can't let you get away with this!" Rapunzel took out her frying pan, "Let's sent these Saporians back where they came from!" Everyone got into a fighting stance, and the battle began.

Varian threw a smoke bomb on the floor, and the pink mist returned. Max got trapped in a floating bubble and Shorty flew across the room. He snatched the Weapon out of the Hand of a Saporian who attacked Rapunzel. She knocked him down with her frying pan.  
Meanwhile, Andrew attacked Eugene and Cassandra, who where still stuck in the pink goo.  
"Nice to meet you again Cassie, even though I think our second date could've used a bit less violence."  
Cass knocked him away, "Bold of you to assume we ever had a date."

Andrew quickly got up and continued to fight. He managed to disarm Eugene, but still had to fight against Cass.  
Suddenly Lance joined them and kicked Andrew away again.  
"So, you wanna play rough hu?" Andrew undid his man bun, swung his long hair around and made an air kiss.  
Cass looked slightly annoyed, while Eugene and Lance gaped with open mouths. "So... much volume..."

Andrew threw his hair Band at them, which Cassandra blocked with her sword.  
"Are you guys serious?"  
The pink goo started to recede from their feet, and they backed up as the Saporians surrounded them.  
The others came to them, with Rapunzel in front of everyone.  
"Varian, tell them to stand down!"  
"Never!" He was cut off by Andrew, "Why would we? When we have the upper hand." He held a bomb in front of him and threw it at them. They jumped away, but didn't make it.

The wall behind them exploded and they fell through the hole to the castle grounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you found a mistake, please let me know :)


	3. Broken Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group flees and finds survivors of the tyranny.  
> Everything seems to get a little bit better, but Cassandra is acting weird.

Rapunzel woke up a few minutes after the blast. She coughed, sat up and looked around for the others. "Pascal?" He came out from under her hair, "Are you alright buddy?" She took him in her hands and looked around again, "Is everybody okay?" Lance sat up behind her, "Uhh give me a minute."   
Next to her, she heard Cass sitting up "Yeah, I'm fine."  
"There is a horse on me." Max stood up and Eugene crawled away.

"I've got the rope!" They heard the voice of a Saporian from the throne room. They looked up and saw two of them climbing down. Eugene stood up, "Let's get outta here."  
Rapunzel turned around, "What? We can't just leave. We gotta stay and fight!" She took her now demolished Frying Pan and swung it in front of her, "How do you think those Saporians would like a face full of frying pan--ness."  
"Sunshine, trust me, sometimes it's better to live to fight another day." He took her shoulders and lead her away from the castle.

They ran into the town, closely followed by a few Saporians. They reached a crossing and looked around, "Quick, over there!" Eugene ran towards Xaviers forge and the others followed.  
They hid behind the crates and the anvil, and hoped that the Saporians wouldn't find them.

Two of them stood before the crate Eugene and Rapunzel hid behind and looked at a horseshoe. They complained about it and one of them threw it away.  
After they were gone the furnance moved aside, and Xavier came out of a secret passage.  
"Princess!" Rapunzel smiled, "Xavier!"  
They walked over to the passageway and Xavier closed it behind him. They walked down the stairs while Xavier filled them in on everything that has happend. "The captain of the guards sent out many search partys to find you, he has yet to return." Cassandra looked a bit sad, but coverd it up quickly so that no one would notice her tiny moment of weakness.  
"But in the meantime..." They reached the end of the stairs and saw Attila, Monty, Big Nose and Friedborg, all sitting around a fire. "Princess!" Attila and the others stood up, and Rapunzel hugged each one of them.  
"we stay hidden." He explained that everyone in Corona was forced to mine the crystals they saw earlier with Feldspar.

"What? The people of Corona are so brave, why wouldn't they stand up?"   
"We cannot define the orders from the King and Queen. Any act of agression against them is treason. But now that you have returned, the game has changed." The Coronans bowed before her, while the others stood in an awkward silence behind her and watched.

"There's no need to bow, Xavier. We're all friends here." They stood up again and Xavier nodded.   
Rapunzel smiled at him, "Okay, we'll think about a plan. But I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we deserverd a little break."   
Eugene stretched behind her, "You have a point there Sunshine. All that fighting earlier made me a little bit tired."  
Rapunzel chuckled and gave him a little kiss.

"I'm gonna go and catch some air." Cass left and went up the stairs.  
Rapunzel looked after her, but decided to let her be alone for now.  
\---  
Cassandra opend the passageway and went outside, not before making sure that she was alone, of course.  
Well, alone as she can be.  
"You failed, Cassandra."  
"What do you want?"  
Ever since her failed attempt at taking the Moonstone, the little blue girl didn't leave her alone.  
"I want to make sure that you find another way to fulfill your destiny."  
Cassandra grunted, "What if I don't want to go down that road? What if I want to stay here in Corona with Rapunzel?"  
"Do you truly want to be overlooked again? Your "father" has left Corona to look for her. Do you really think he would've gone if it were only you who's out there?"

Cassandra turned away from her, and tried to block out those thoughts.  
"Once this whole dilemma with the Saporians is settled, you'll be Rapunzels Lady-in-waiting once again. Do you really want that?" "No! Of course not!"

"Who are you talking to?" Cassandra turned around to find Rapunzel standing next to the furnance.  
"No one." She replied. Cass didn't look Rapunzel in the eyes, trying to avoid her gaze. "But I heard you talking... is everything okay?" Rapunzel reached out for Cass, who flinshed back. "Everything is fine, Rapunzel!"  
Rapunzel took a step back, "Is this about the same thing that made you want to take the moonstone...?"  
Cassandra fell silent.  
"Cass, whatever it is, you can talk to me."  
"What if I just don't want to talk to you!?" Cassandra spun around and looked at Rapunzel full of anger.  
"Girls? Is everything alright?"

Rapunzel and Cassandra looked at the passageway to find Eugene standing there, with a look of worry on his face.  
"Yes, everything is fine. Just as always!" One could here Cass' sarcasm from miles away.  
Everyone was silent.  
"Just... leave me alone for a minute." Cassandra turned away from the couple, and started walking away.

Once she was gone, Eugene tried to lift Rapunzels spirit, "Well... that could've gone... a lot worse."  
Rapunzel sighed, "Could've gone a lot better, either."  
"The others are waiting, come on Sunshine."  
He went back inside, and for a second Rapunzel wanted to just drop it and leave Cass alone.  
But how could she just leave her friend to suffer in silence? She knew Cassandra. She knew when something was wrong with her friend.  
She already let a kingdom down and she refused to let her friend down too.

Rapunzel waited for Eugene to reach the bottom of the stairs before turning back.   
She searched the streets for Cassandra, but couldn't find anything.  
Rapunzel was about to let it go, but then she saw Cassandra walking slowly towards the castle.  
"What is she doing...." she said to Pascal, who shrugged in return.

She followed her into one of the secret tunnels of Corona. She hid behind a corner in the tunnel system and watched as Cassandra stopped walking.   
"I am not running."  
She was talking to herself again. Rapunzel was starting to genuinely worry for Cassandra. She herself lived alone for 18 years, well, she had pascal, but she never talked to herself like that.  
"What good would that do?"  
Rapunzel watched as Cassandra continued to talk herself, but it seemed like she was talking to someone she just couldn't see.

Cassandra started walking further away, out of Rapunzels hearing range.  
She leaned forward to hear her better, but slipped and fell on the floor.  
Cass turned around and saw Rapunzel lying on the floor.  
"What are you doing here?"  
Rapunze stood up and brushed the dirt of her dress, "I could ask you the same."  
"I told you to leave me alone."   
"I know... but I just want to help you, Cassandra."  
Cassandra looked down. For a second Rapunzel thought she saw sadness or guilt on the face of her friend.  
"How about we take back Corona? Just us two."

"That's stupid."  
Rapunzel was trying to change the subject, and Cassandra knew it.  
"Do it." The girl whispered to her.  
Rapunzel held a hand out for Cassandra.  
"Hmpf... fine." She took it and together they walked through the tunnels towards the castle.

\---  
They snuck in with ease. The only problem now was not getting caught. There were Saporians patrolling everywhere in the castle. They went through a hallway, but saw shadows coming from the corner. "Kai, is that you?"  
Cassandra opend a door and pulled Rapunzel inside.  
She closed the door and let out a sigh. "That was close."  
Rapunzel looked around. They were in Cassandras room.

"Sadly, I don't have a new Frying Pan for you... but maybe you should get at least a weapon to defend yourself with."  
Cassandra opend her wardrobe and gave Rapunzel a dagger.  
"Just in case."  
"Thanks, Cass."   
Rapunzel looked Cassandra in the eyes, who turned around to avoid her gaze, "Yeah, no problem."

"Well well well, look who we found..."  
The last thing Cassandra saw was a Saporian holding a club above her before she blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you find any mistakes, let me know :)


	4. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra and Rapunzel have been captured by the Saporians.  
> Rapunzel tries to make up with Varian, and her plan to take back Corona sets into motion.

"Cass!"  
Rapunzel sprinted towards her friend, who was now lying unconscious on the floor. A Saporian grabbed her before she could reach Cassandra. "Not so fast, princess." He held her hands behind her back and tied them together while another Saporian carried Cassandra. Rapunzel squirmed in the rough grab the man held her in, "Let us go!"  
"Won't even think about it."  
Once they were outside of Cass' room, Varian and Andrew joined them. "Good job boys." Andrew led the way towards the dungeons, where they put Rapunzel and the still unconscious Cassandra in a cell.

"Varian, how could you do this?" Rapunzel was angry, but mostly just frustrated.  
He knocked on the bars and smiled. "I want you to know that I wish it didn't come to this." Varian grabbed the bars with his hands, "But when someone trusts you and you betray them, well, this is what happens."  
He stepped back and indicated at the dungeon cell.

"My kingdom needed me, I couldn't do anything about the amber and I had to stay. I never meant to break my promise to you, Varian. We were friends."  
Varian turned towards her, "That's the beauty of my plan, when your memory has been erased we can be friends again." He walked to the side of the cell with a smirk on his face.

"But these people didn't do anything to you..."  
He turned around with a look of sadness and guilt on his face, "It's not what they did to me,"  
He couldn't look Rapunzel in the eyes and turned back, hanging his head in shame, "It's what I did to them.  
And there... there's no way that they will ever forgive me."

Rapunzel clung to the bars of the cell, "How do you know if you don't give them a chance?"  
Varian flinched and started to list all the things he did, "I took their queen prisoner, I threatened their princess, I helped these guys take over their kingdom! You think anyone's gonna give me a second chance?"  
He turned back to face her again, "I don't think so. No, making them forget, is the only way to fix what I've done."

Rapunzel could hear the guilt in his voice, and wanted to comfort him, but then Andrew spoke up, "Yeah... there's been a slight change of plans buddy." He took Varian and led him away from Rapunzels cell, "Now that she's back we don't have time for you to get your memory formula right."  
Another Saporian said that they want to use the formula that Varian has created to destroy Corona, and Varian squirmed out of Andrews grip, "What-no! No! But we agreed that nobody would be harmed!" He pointed accusing at Andrew, "Relaxe, Varian. You don't wanna end up on the wrong side of histroy," he nudged Varian, "you understand buddy."

Varian looked at Rapunzel, who had a hopeful expression on her face.  
"You're right... So I'm gonna have to ask you..." He grabbed one of his bombs out of his coat, "to step inside that cell."  
The Saporians backed off, "Are you betraying us boy?"  
"I'm getting on the right side of history." "Take him out!"  
Varian threw the bomb at his former allies, which created a bubble foam. Varian was with his back at Rapunzel cell and cowered in on himself as the Saporians came towards him.  
"Ouhhh sorry guys, that was uh... yeah that was a bath bomb..."

\---  
Cass awoke in a cell.  
She heard voices, but couldn't understand them because of the buzzing sound in her ears.  
"Cass? Are you awake?"  
"Rapunzel...?" Her vision became clear and she saw Rapunzels Head above her, "What happend?".  
"You were knocked out and we were brought to a cell in the dungeons."  
Cass grunted as she sat up, her head still hurt a little bit.  
"Sorry for that..."  
Cass piped up as she heard his voice. but she held herself back to give a nasty comment. She could hear genuine guilt in his voice and decided to not rub salt in the obviously open wound.  
"What are you doing here?" That didn't mean that she couldn't make an annoyed comment though.  
"He stood up to Andrew. He realized that he was on the wrong side of history."  
Rapunzel gave a short and quick explanation and tried to open the cell.

Cass saw Varian on the other bed of the Cell, head against the cold stone wall.  
"Don't interfere."  
She heard the voice of the little girl again, but couldn't see her.  
"Why not?" She forgot that she wasn't alone, and received one confused and one worried glance.  
"Uhh... nevermind."

The silence in the room lasted for about five minutes, before Varian broke it.  
"All I ever wanted was for my father to be proud. Of course if he was free from the amber now and saw everything I've done... he'd be ashamed."  
Rapunzel sat down besides Cass, "You know... standing up to Andrew right now was pretty brave."  
"Does it matter though? I still helped them to take over Corona... and now they have the power to destroy it."  
Rapunzel looked over to Varian and gave a small smile, "We can get through this. Together. We just need to trust each other."  
Varian looked her in the eyes and saw that she meant it.  
"Promise?"  
"I promise."

"Okay this is very sweet but honestly I'm offended. I can't believe you were going to break into something and you didn't even ask me, it's kind of my thing." Eugene picked the lock to the cell and opened the door.  
"Thank goodness you're here!" Rapunzel stood up and walked over to Lance and Eugene and hugged the latter.  
Cass and Varian followed. Varian bumped into Lance, "And where do you think you're going little man?"  
He rubbed Varians fake goatee off and the others cuckled.

Rapunzel let Eugene go, "Guys, we're going to have to trust him."  
Eugene walked towards Varian with an slightly angry look on his face, "After everything hair stripe here has done"  
he walked past Varian and to Pascal, who was chained up on the floor of the cell, "you are going to trust him?"  
He picked the lock of Pascals chain and lifted him up.  
"Yes, he's the one that made the formula that the Saporians are about to drop on Corona."  
Rapunzel walked to Varian and put her hands on his arms in a welcoming gesture, "We need him." She smiled at him, and Varian relaxed and smiled back. Rapunzel took his hands and walked to the exit.  
Eugene looked to Cass, who has been silent during the whole conversation.  
"You have been awfully quiet, I mean, not that I don't enjoy your silence but is everything alright?"  
"Yes, everything's fine."

\---

They arrived at the loading station for the airship and made a plan.  
Eugene and Lance were going to rescue Rapunzels parents, who were being taken away to watch their kingdom burn and to die afterwards, while Varian, Rapunzel and Cassandra snuck on the airship to stop them from dropping the explosives.

The trio hid behind some barrels and waited for the perfect moment to strike. They saw Andrew pick up one of the barrels and walking towards the edge of the airship. Varian took out one of his bombs while Cass took her sword and Rapunzel the frying pan she picked up on their way out of the castle.

Varian threw the smoke bomb and the other two attacked. "What the?" Andrew put the barrel down and picked his sword.  
He walked on high alert through the mist and heard the clashing of swords.

While Varian was working on neutralizing the explosives, Cass and Rapunzel fought the Saporians.  
The mist receded and Andrew saw Rapunzel, who just knocked out two Saporians with her trusty frying pan, and made a run for her. "This is the last time you--" he was interrupted by another bomb from Varian, which made his word crumble into shards. "He! Not bad for an alchemist, ayee?" Varian spun one of his bombs on his finger and then began to make tricks with it, but hit himself on the chin and his bombs flew out of his coat.

Pascal and Rapunzels foot got hit with ones that trapped them in bubbles, "Whoops, my fault."  
Raps started floating, dangling by her foot. "That was on me!" Varian ran after Pascal, while Cass ran towards Rapunzel and pulled her back down.

"Stay down, Alchemist!" The Saporian stood in front of Varian and held a sword to his throat. "I'll take care of him."  
Andrew grabbed Varian by his collar and held him over the edge of the airship.  
"Traitors to Saporia pay with their lifes."  
Just then, Pascal, who was still trapped in the bubble, knocked into Andrew, who tripped and fell backwards over the other edge of the airship.  
Varian landed on the floor of the airship, but stood up immediately and freed Rapunzel and Pascal from their bubbles.

Meanwhile, Cassandra has knocked out most of the Saporians, who were lying unconscious on the floor. Just then, Rapunzel had a plan to trap the rest of the Saporians.  
"Do you still have one of the sticky bombs Varian?"  
"Yes, just one though."  
They were interrupted by Andrew, whose head was trapped in one of the floating bubbles. He held his sword in one hand and was about to cut the rope that held the airship together.  
"Oh we're not done yet. Time for Corona to go---"  
Cassandra leaped from the edge and clung on Andrew, "Oh no you don't."  
She pulled him down and they floated slowly to the ground.

Andrew tried to attack her, but she cought his arm mid-swing and twisted his wrist so that he dropped his sword.  
When they landed, she quickly pushed him on the ground and held his wrists behind his back together.  
"Not so overconfident now, are you?"

\---

Rapunzel and Varian landed the ship at a safe distance and returned to the town as quick as possible.  
When they returned, they saw Attila with a cuffed Andrew and Cassandra standing beside him.  
"Cass! Are Eugene and Lance back already?"  
She shook her head, "Not, not yet. Do you think we need to look for them?"  
Rapunzel thought for a second, "No. I believe that they can bring my parents back home. They did it once, and I believe they can do it twice."

Varian stood back and watched the two interacting. He could feel that something happend between them, but decided to not interfere for now. He was, afterall, supposed to be in prison.  
He looked to the floor, but suddenly felt a hand on his back. He turned around to see the towns smith Xavier.  
"You did the right thing, my friend."  
Varian looked back to the ground, "But it doesn't erase what I've done... the people of Corona won't forgive me like Rapunzel has."  
Xavier shook his head, "Maybe not now. But give them time. Even the greatest heros," he pointed to Rapunzel, "need to travel a rocky path. Which often leads to wounds and scars that cannot go away." Now, he pointed to Cassandra.  
"But with time, one can come to accept them and the storys behind them."  
Rapunzel laughed at something funny Attila said, and Cassandra gave a smile and chuckled.

Varian was a little bit confused, "I don't understand. What happend between them?"  
"Many things we don't know, but you can see it, right?"  
Varian nodded, and suddenly understood, "Like scars?"  
"Yes. But you can also see them happy together."

Varian looked at Rapunzel, who was now running towards her parents, Eugene and Lance, who just arrived and saw Cassandra walking alone to the castle.  
"Let's just hope the scars aren't going to open again..."  
\---  
"Once I start this incantation, I won't be able to stop it."  
The day after the whole Saporian debacle, Rapunzel came to Varian and told him she had a new idea how to free his dad. But she didn't know if it was going to work without her hair. Now, they were in front of the amber in Varians house.  
"And it could seriously harm you and your father. So I'm trusting you to snap me out of it,"  
She handed him a bucket full of water, "once your father is free."

Varian looked her in the eyes, "You can trust me, Rapunzel."  
Rapunzel placed her hands on the amber and began to say the hurt incantation.  
Her hair and eyes became a pitch black, and her hair had glowing strands in the color of the amber in it.  
Varian saw the amber melting, "It's working..."  
"Wither and decay,"  
"It's working!"  
Quirins upper body was freed,  
"end this destiny,"  
"Dad!"  
Varian began to ran to his father, but stopped and turned to Rapunzel.  
"break these earthly chains,"  
Varian threw the water on her, but it evaporated once it made contact to her skin.  
"and set the spirit free,"  
"Wake up!"  
He put his gloved hands on her shoulders, but he immediately pulled back and saw his gloves melting.  
"Rapunze! Snap out of it!"  
"the spirit free..."

"Rapunzel... Rapunzel? You didn't give up on me. I'm not giving up on you."  
Rapunzels hair turned back to brown and she fell on her knees.  
"Are you okay?" Varian knelt down beside her.  
She looked him into the eyes and gave a smile, "Yeah... just surprised that it worked."  
He smiled back and hugged her, "Thank you."

Rapunzel watched as he reunited with his father, "Dad! Dad! You're alive!"  
"Oh son..." Varian saw the note from his father dissolve in the liquid amber, "Dad, the note. What did it say, I need to know."

Quirin put a hand on Varians cheek and smiled at him, "All it said was... I'm so proud of you Varian. I always have been."  
Varian hugged his dad again, "I love you dad."  
"I love you too, son."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that we're at the end of this episode, the story will take a more divergent path then the show.  
> I hope you liked it this far :D  
> I do not know when the next chapter is gonna be up, but now that I have a week off I have more time to write ;)
> 
> If you find any mistakes, please let me know :)


	5. Uneasy Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zhan Tiri has a plan, but needs Cassandra to follow.  
> Rapunzel starts to feel like something is terribly wrong.

It has been a week now since Quirin was freed and slowly everything returned to normal. Rapunzel and Eugene had to take over as Queen and King, since Rapunzels parents still haven't gotten their memorys back.  
Even though everything seemed to get better now, Rapunzel had an uneasy feeling. She visited Varian now once a week to ask him how the translation is going. She gave him the demanitus scroll and he happily agreed to translate it.

Meanwhile, Cassandra was isolating herself from the others. They were already suspicious, and she can't blame them. She did try to steal the moonstone afterall.   
Rapunzel said she doesn't have to be her lady in waiting anymore, and that alone made Cass feel a little bit better.  
"You need to go to the spire to retrive an artifact."  
Cass groaned when she heard the voice from the ghost girl again.  
"Tell me, why should I listen to you again?"  
"I showed you your mother and everything that was taken from you, and I just want to help you to get your rightful power back."  
Cassandra saw out of the window and saw Eugene with his father, returning from an adventure with Rapunzel and the stabbington brothers in tow.  
She turned around and looked at the floating figure, "The moonstone was destroyed when Rapunzel took it, so what exactly do you want me to do now?"  
"The Moonstone may be destroyed, but the flower was too. And the power is still here.   
Rapunzel used the hurt incantation to free Quirin afterall."  
Cassandra thought for a moment, "So the power of the moonstone and the sundrop still exists in Rapunzel? And what do you want me to do? Kill her? I can tell you right away that I am not going to do that."  
The girl chuckled, "First, we need to get to the spire to get that artifact. It can harbor small amounts of the energy from the Moonstone and the Sundrop. Just enough to get what we need."

\---

After Rapunzel returned from their adventure, she walked to Cass' room.  
Some of the royal guards returned, but the Captain was still out there. Rapunzel had the idea of making Cassandra captain of the guard, and was now searching for her friend.  
"Cass?" She knocked on Cassandras door. "Cass, are you in there?"  
"It's open." Rapunzel opend the door and stepped inside. She saw Cassandra sitting on a chair with her maps in front of her. "I wanted to talk to you."  
"I figured."

Rapunzel sat down on Cassandras bed, Cass still had her back towards Rapunzel.  
"Since the Captian still has to return... I thought that you could take over the role? I know he would pick you if he had to choose a substitute."  
"Actually..." Cass turned around now, facing Rapunzel, "I wanted to go and look for him. I just need some time to clear my head and thought that searching for him would do the job. I promise I won't go to far, just... you know, far enough? I'll be back in two to three weeks or so."  
Rapunzel was a little surprised, she thought that Cass of all people would be happy to be back in Corona, "Uhm... okay if you think that is for the best. Just... be careful, alright?"

\---

The day Cassandra left, was the day Rapunzel truly felt uneasy. She shouldn't have to worry about a thing now, except for her Parents memory loss, but they already made a small amount of progress! Varian and his father were both happy and no one in Corona was trying to destroy it.  
Then why did she feel like something wasn't right?  
"Hey Sunshine,"  
Her thoughts were interrupted when Eugene entered her room, "how are you doing?"  
"To be honest, I feel like something here isn't right."  
Eugene sat down beside her and swung an arm around her, "Do you mean Lance almost destroying the snuggly duckling? He already cleaned everything up after... the incident."  
Rapunzel gave him a small smile but shook her head, "No, not Lance. It's just... everything should be fine now, right? Why do I have this feeling like something is terribly wrong and it's right under our nose?"

Eugene thought for a moment, "Maybe it's the throne room? It's still a little bit destroyed."  
Rapunzel looked thoughtful out of the window, "Maybe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you find any mistakes, let me know!


	6. Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass travel to the Spire, while Rapunzel is waiting for her return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was hard to write, I hope you can enjoy it anyways :/  
> Hopefully the next chapter won't be such a pain in my back.

It has been a few days since Cassandra left Corona, in these days Rapunzel often found herself looking out of her window at night, looking at the moon.   
All the trouble they had when they had arrived in Corona had distracted her, but the fact that Cass tried to steal the moonstone was getting clearer for her every day, espacially since Cass left.  
Then Rapunzel remembered that Cassandra wanted to tell her something when they were in the ballon, saying goodbye to Adira and Edmund.  
Cass still hasn't told her what she wanted to say, and Rapunzel was eager for the answer.  
But she won't get one, at least not until Cass is back.  
So she waited.

\---

Cassandra took a different road to the spire then they did the first time.  
Following the rocks wouldn't bring her to the spire, since it was off trail, so she took a faster and direct way to it.  
The enchanted girl only appears when Cass sets up a night camp. The sun was beginning to set, so Cassandra set up her tent and made a campfire. Sleep didn't come fast, so she laid in her sleeping bag, waiting.

\---

Zhan Tiri was waiting for Cassandra to arrive at the spire. Her plan was coming into motion, she just had to get free before the eclipse. She had time enough, and just had to wait for Cassandra to get to the spire and for Varian to translate the scroll.

\---

The situation became real to her when she saw the spire.  
Cassandra knew that Calliope was now the keeper, and had to get her to open the spires vault for her.  
"In the house is a cloak which can disguise you. You need to take it and trick her."  
The enchanted girl was now next to her, "Wait until it's night, once the keeper is asleep go in and get it."  
Cassandra walked up to the house, but didn't knock.   
She hid behind the walls, and waited again.

\---

The moon was now full and high up in the sky.  
She checked through the windows if Calliope was there, but couldn't see anyone. Cassandra walked to the front door and cracked it open with her sword, and tried to be as quite as possible. The enchanted girl showed her the cloak, "You need to think of the person you want to disguise yourself as."  
Cassandra took the cloak and put it on. She thought of the old keeper, and in a flash she saw that it had worked.  
The ghost girl smiled, "Good, now we just need to trick her into letting us in the vault."

Cassandra went outside again and made a plan. She'd tell Calliope that she wanted to check on her and her progress.  
Then she'd ask her to lead her to the spire and open it.

\---

The plan worked so far, Cassandra, disguised as the old keeper, was now in front of the spire together with Calliope.  
"Good Calliope, now you just need to open the spire with the right key and let us in."  
Calliope walked to the big door and pulled out her keychain.  
"Just a moment... here!" She picked one of the keys and put it in. The door opened and Cassandra walked in with a big smile on her face, "You did good Calliope, and you can return to the house now."

Calliope hesitated, she noticed that her old master was acting weird. Cass saw the doubt on her face and thought of something she could say to convince Calliope to leave.  
"I'll be right back, I just need to check if everything is still in order."  
Calliope opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but closed it and left the vault.

Cass sighed in relieve, she was glad she was finally free from the annoying keeper.  
Once the door closed, she pulled the cloak off and searched for the artifact she came here for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you find any mistakes, let me know :)


	7. Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After leaving the Spire, Cass runs into her father and they continue their journey home.

Cass was walking through the forest with the artifact safetly tucked away in her satchel.  
The ghost girl didn't appear since she left the spire, and she was grateful for that. She needed a few moments for herself to really think about what she's doing. There's nothing bad about wanting appreciation, right? She just wants to be respected, and not seen as Rapunzels lady in waiting anymore.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone walking not far behind her.  
She turned around and was surprised at who she saw.  
"Dad?"  
"Cassandra!"   
He ran towards his daughter and hugged her, "I've missed you so much."  
Cass hugged him back, "I missed you too."  
The Captain held on Cassandras arms and looked his daughter in the eyes, "What are you doing out here? I heard what happened and thought you all returned to Corona."

Cass thought about telling him. About Zhan Tiri, about her attempt at taking the moonstone... about her mother.  
But she pushed those thoughts in back of her head. "I was searching for you, actually."  
The Captain chuckled a little bit and smiled, "Well, I guess we are both successful on our missions then."

While they were walking back to Corona, they told each other about their adventures, well... mostly Cass.  
"You got turned into birds?" The Captain laughed. Cass chuckled, "Yeah. I didn't like it at first. But once you get the hang of the flying thing it isn't so bad. But we had to destroy the teapot that made the magic tea to safe us from Mother and Father."

The Captain saw that there was something she wasn't telling him, "Did something happen? Before you destroyed the teapot?"  
Cass looked to the ground, and her smile faded, "Well... the eggs that turned us back into humans were limited. In the end we only had one left. Raps used it on me."  
As Cassandra looked back onto that moment, she realized that she was letting her anger out on the wrong person. But there was still that feeling of jealousy inside her that wouldn't go away.  
She noticed her father staring at her, "Is something the matter?"  
"How did she turn back?"  
Cassandra almost forgot to tell her dad the end of the story, "Oh, yeah.. uh Shorty was turned into a bird who could make the eggs. With these we turned Raps and Shorty back."  
The Captain swung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, "I'm glad that you're okay."  
"Me too."

At the end of their first day together on the walk back home, they were sitting at a campfire.  
While the Captain was cooking some meat for his daughter and him, Cass was stargazing.  
The Captain saw that there were a lot of things on her mind, he knew his daughter after all, but decided not to push and let her come to him if she wants to talk, "Just like old times, right Cass?"  
Cassandra looked at her father, a slight smile on her face, "Yeah... just this time we're not camping near Corona."  
"I miss our Camping trips. We should go camping again, I mean, only if you want to."  
Cass looked back at the stars, "I think I'd like that."

Once the meat was finished and ready to eat, the two of them sat together and talked again about their adventures.  
After the story from Cass about the Forest of No Return, the Captain started to talk about Cassandras work life, "I am guessing that you don't want to be Rapunzel's Lady in Waiting anymore, and I thought a lot about your growth and strength." Cassandra looked at her father, interested in what he was going for. "After a lot of thinking... I think I'll give you a chance at the royal guard. If you still want to."

Before Cass could answer, she saw the Ghost Girl behind her father.  
"Don't forget about what you can get if you follow our plan. He made you wait far too long, think about what he didn't tell you."  
Cassandra looked back at her father, "Actually... there is something I want to talk about with you."  
The Captain was a bit confused to why Cass didn't answer his question, becoming part of the Royal Guard was her dream afterall.  
"Who is my mother?"

He did not expect that.  
"Well... she died long ago and I found you and took you in."  
Cassandra looked at him suspiciously, "And you don't know more about her?"  
The Captain felt the tension grow as Cassandra glared at him.  
"Why didn't you tell me Gothel was my mother?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how long it'll take me to write the next chapter. Cass is a really complicated character for me to write and I want to do her character justice so it will take its time.  
> But I'll try to finish it asap :D  
> Hope you enjoyed the story so far :)


	8. Nothing will change that

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Captain and Cassandra talk about Gothel and more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually wanted to make this chapter longer, but then decided to cut it in the end. Also, I hope you like it so far :D  
> My english isn't the best (as you can probably read xD) but I'm trying to get better :)  
> Please tell me if you find anything that's wrong.  
> And thanks to all the positiv feedback, it motivates me to write when I see that people like my story ;)

"Why didn't you?!"  
The Captain didn't know how to respond.  
He never wanted her to know, he thought about telling her when she was younger, but he just couldn't.  
He didn't want her to feel 'different' or 'bad' because of her heritage. But now that she knows, he didn't know what to do.

Silence.

Cassandra had tears in her eyes, but wouldn't let them fall. She just wanted to know why he never told her anything about her mother. 

She wasn't as angry as she was when she found out. Talking with Rapunzel after her attempt had helped a little bit. The princess wasn't angry at her for trying to steal the moonstone, and even though Cassandra felt like Rapunzel should be angry, she was also relieved that her friend didn't push her away. But what would Rapunzel do when she finds out why she tried to take the moonstone? She was afraid. Afraid of the reaction from her friend, and even from Eugenes.

But right now she was facing the man that didn't tell her who her mother was, and she wanted an answer.

The Captain looked his daughter in the eyes and saw the sadness in them. He also knew that Cassandra won't admit that she's sad, he has known her long enough for that.

He himself has never been good with emotions, he just buried himself in his work to distract him from all the problems he had. "I'm sorry. I... I thought about telling you but I just couldn't. I didn't want you to feel bad for the things your mother did, because it doesn't matter who your birth mother is. But I hope that we can make things right..." He held his arms out for her, and for a moment, he thought she wouldn't accept the hug. But then Cass falls in his arms and buried her head in his shoulder, and cried silently.

The Captain rubbed the back of his daughter while she sobbed in his arms.  
"How am I supposed to tell Raps?" Cassandra broke away from the hug and looked up at him with tears still running down her cheek. The Captain thought for bit before responding, "I'd tell her in private. Just the two of you. You know Rapunzel better than I do, and I know she won't be mad or hate you for being Gothels daughter."

Cassandra nodded and looked to the ground. She knew that Rapunzel wasn't going to hate her, but she was also scared for the what if situation, espacially after she tried to take the moonstone.

Rapunzel wasn't the naive girl who freaked out by a library anymore and Cassandra knew that.  
But even if Rapunzel won't be mad, what about Eugene?  
He was a completely different case. 

Not that he isn't kind, but the man knew how to hold a grudge. Not like Cassandra, but definitely more so than Rapunzel.  
Cassandra was just scared and confused.  
But she was glad that her father was with her right now, who knows what could've happend if she hadn't run into him.

Cassandra noticed that the blue girl wasn't anywhere to be seen, and she was glad that she wasn't there.  
She started to become suspicious of the little girl, now that she had most of her anger off her mind.  
Then she realised that she still doesn't know who that girl actually is.  
"Dad, there's something else I need to tell you."

Cassandra looked up at her father, the man who took her in, knowing who her mother was.  
She was happy that he adopted her, and didn't give her away to another family. He didn't have to take her in but did so anyways.

Her thoughts drifted back to the Ghost who has been following her around, and whom she was growing wary of.  
"There's this... blue ghost girl who has been following me. She tells me what I should do to 'gain my rightful power'.  
She is also the one who showed me who my mother is. I... I don't know what to do. Other people can't see her. Rapunzel probably already thinks I'm crazy with how often she heard me 'talking to myself'."

The Captain looked at his daughter, and from all the things he expected her to say, it was not something like this.  
"I don't know a lot about Ghosts... actually, if you had told me this two years ago I would've probably thought you're crazy. But then I met a ghost, but a nice one... and everyone could see her too. I don't know how we can help you with that, but we will find a way, I promise. But first, we need to return to Corona, maybe Xavier knows something."

He took Cassandras Hands in his and gently rubbed the back of them with his thumbs in a comforting way.  
He was relieved that Cass told him all of that. He of all people knows how things can turn around when she bottles her emotions up, and this right now was different then some school bullies.

"I just want you to know, that you will forever be my daughter, and nothing will change that."  
He hugged her again, and she returned the hug in an instant.  
They both were happy that they ran into each other that day.

Before they went to sleep, they sat together on a log, told each other stories and forgot about the drama for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just think we needed more interaction between the Captain and Cass, and I'm trying to bring more of that in this story, hope you don't mind :)  
> This story is going to be a roller coaster between Angst and Fluff lmao.


	9. Fear of Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian has a dream.  
> The Captain and Cassandra return to Corona.  
> Cassandra doesn't want to return to Corona.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this took so long!  
> I was distracted with playing minecraft and animal crossing ,_,  
> But I tried to make this chapter at least 1k words and I did it :D  
> (that is much for me lel)  
> Hope you enjoy it :)

Varian has been trying to translate the demanitus scroll for a week now, and even though he has made a lot of progress, he just couldn't understand what it actually means.  
It was already dark outside, which meant that soon his father would come in and tell him to go to sleep.  
Ever since the Princess freed his father, they lived together in their old home, and they have never been happier.

"Varian!" Varian heard the voice of his father, but it sounded like he was in panic.  
He stood up and ran to the room from where the voice came, his lab.  
He opend the door and was shooked at what he saw.  
"Dad!"  
His father was getting encased in the amber again, and Varian ran towards him, "No! No not again!"  
When he reached his father he heard voices behind him,  
"Servers you right, traitor!"  
The people of Corona where surrounding him, with these angry looks on their faces.  
His father was reaching out for him, still in the amber, but he couldn't reach him.  
The people were getting closer, all of them saying these hateful things to him, and he just couldn't breath.  
They were getting closer and closer, and he was getting further away from his father.  
"Dad!"  
"Varian!"

He was falling.  
Everything was black and he was falling.  
He hit the ground, but didn't feel anything.  
The sky was purple, and he was on an pink island.  
He stood up and looked around, "Where am I?"  
There was a floating tree further away from him, "What the..."  
On the tree, a face started to appear. It came towards him and the face was that of a girl... with a wicked grin.  
"What-- where am I, who are you?"  
"A friend! Or at least I'd like to be."   
The tree dissapeard under the island he was on, and the girl came from under the island to him.  
"There is a way to translate the full scroll."  
\---  
He woke with a jolt and almost fell off his chair. He must have fallen asleep while working on the translation.  
"Use the sun... to see the sun?" He didn't know if his dream meant anything, but it must have, right?  
He sat down on his chair again and looked at his translation. He still needs to work on the key first.  
\---  
Cassandra and her father were in front of the Corona Walls now. After a two week journey for Cass and an even longer one for her father, they were finally back home.  
But Cass felt stiff. She just wanted to run back into the woods and hide forever.  
Her dad put reassuring hand on her shoulder and she sighed.   
"Everything will be fine, don't worry."  
Cassandra looked at the Castle in the distance, "I sure hope so."

When they entered Corona they were met with smiling faces, greeting the Captain and welcoming him back home.  
Cassandra was enjoying the delay, she did not want to get back to the Castle just yet. These two weeks went by way to fast for her. And she was still worried that the ghost girl will appear again. Or was it just her imagination?  
She didn't appear once she got all of her worries off of her. Well, most of them at least.  
Cassandra wasn't sure if she should be happy that the ghost wasn't real or more worried about her mental health.

With every step she got closer to the castle, the more she thought about not telling Rapunzel. She started to block out the world around her, ignored the people that were greeting her and her father. She couldn't hear anything or anyone anymore and just walked towards the castle.

"Are you okay?"  
Suddenly all the sounds were back, and she saw her father looking at her with concern.  
"Yeah.. just.. worried."  
He gave a small smile and started walking again.  
She followed him to what she was sure was her doom.

When they reached the Castle Cassandra could feel her knees beginning to wobble. She was sure she has never been this nervous before. The corridors suddenly seemed so long and the waiting just made her stomach uneasy. Her father was still with her, but they didn't talk much ever since they arrived at the castle, or in Corona.

Then she saw the huge door to the throne room. She took a deep breath. Rapunzel doesn't have to be in the throne room, she knew that. But the chance is still there and she hated it.  
Her father opend the door and was surprised to see a renovated throne room with tables and a new Wall.  
He wanted to say something but then he saw the King and the Queen on their thrones.

It was just Cassandras luck that Rapunzel and Eugene were there too.  
"Cass! Captain! You're back!" Rapunzel ran to Cass and hugged her.

Cassandra felt really nervous but still hugged Rapunzel back, "Hey Raps."  
Meanwhile, the Captain was talking Eugene, since the King and Queen still haven't gotten their full memorys back.  
"So, Cass found you in the woods?" The Captain nodded, "We ran into each other and then travelled together back to Corona. It was fun, well... mostly."   
Eugene didn't miss the worried look the Captian had for second, but decided to drop it for the moment and let the man come back home.  
He saw how Rapunzel showed Cassandra the new throne room and told her everything about the treasure hunt they had with the people of Corona.

"...and then we placed the box back on it's rightful place! I wish you could've seen how well everyone worked together in the end! I think Xavier and Varian talk a lot more now! And Pete and Stan meet Catalina and Angry sometimes now too! Isn't that great?" Rapunzel looked so happy while telling the story, exactly the opposite of how Cass was feeling.

She was feeling dread of the upcoming conversation she knew was due.  
"That's great Raps... but actually.. can I talk to you for a moment..." Rapunzel smile fell when she saw the look on Cassandras face, "Sure, you can tell me anything, you know that."  
Cassandra glanced over to Eugene, who was looking at them curiously. "In private...?"

They went outside the room and closed the big doors, Cassandra looked around the Corridor, it was almost night now, so not many people were still walking through the castle.  
"Okay... so what did you want to talk about?"  
Cassandra looked at Rapunzel, and instead of seeing someone who casted a shadow, like she did a few months ago, she saw a strong and kind woman, and most importantly a Friend. Oh how she hated this situation.

"It's about... why I wanted to take the moonstone."  
Rapunzel didn't say anything and waited for Cassandra to continue.  
"In the house of Yesterdays Tomorrow when I was in that room... I saw something from my past..."  
Now Rapunzel was confused, what could her past have something to do with the moonstone? She knew Cassandra was adopted, so maybe her biological parents?  
"There was a cottage in the woods and I saw... me. And my mother."

Cassandra took a deep breath, "It was Gothel..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you find any mistakes, please let me know!  
> And if you have any questions, here is my tumblr blog (I'm more active on there): https://www.tumblr.com/blog/skytherebel
> 
> Cya next chapter :) (whenever that'll be)


	10. When the truth comes out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra tells Rapunzel two things, even though she'd rather avoid these conversations.  
> Zhan Tiri has a new plan, and is starting to go through with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longer chapter again! I'm trying to make every chapter at least 1k words! I'm just hoping my writing is getting better :D  
> This chapter was fun to write, and I already started with the next one!

The only sound someone in the palace halls could here was the wind howling through the few trees in the royal gardens.  
No one made a sound. The halls were only brightened by the moonlight that shone through the windows.  
In the halls were two people, who were standing in silence. One too shooked to move or speak, the other too nervous and uneasy.

The silence was deafening.  
Cassandra stood there, and waited for Rapunzel to do something. Anything.  
Shout at her, cry, tell her everything is okay, at least a movement or a sound.  
But nothing came.

Rapunzel didn't expect this. She knew something was wrong with her friend for quite some time now, but from all the possibiltys she did not know that this was even one.  
How is one supposed to react to this? Was she supposed to be angry? For something Cassandra hadn't had a word in?  
She knew her friend was feeling guilty or angry at herself.  
And she knew she had to say something befor it was too late, but she didn't know what.  
She had questions, but was this the right time to ask them?

For how long did you know?  
How did you find out?  
Was this the reason you were angry at me?

Meanwhile, Cassandra was standing there. Head bowed and looking at her feet.  
And waiting,  
for Rapunzel to make a choice, a sound, but she wasn't doing anything at all.  
The silence grew louder and Cassandra began to breath in and out. Slowly, like her father showed her everytime she began to panic on their way to the castle.

In the end, it was Cassandra who broke the silence, not Rapunzel, "Say something." She looked Rapunzel in the eyes, and saw that the other woman was thinking about what to do in this situation, "Please... just... anything. Shout at me or run away or hit me if it makes you feel better but just please do something!" She didn't notice that she began to scream, or cry. Cassandra couldn't stand this silence any longer and just wanted to move past this conversation.

She knew this was a mistake. She should've just kept it a secret and never tell Rapunzel that her mother is the woman who kidnapped her.

But she wasn't faced with an angry Rapunzel, or with someone running away from her.  
Rapunzel hugged her.

"I... I don't know how to... react to this... Cass. But... please believe me when I say that it doesn't change anything for me."  
Cassandra felt her shoulder becoming wet from Rapunzels tears, she managed to speak through her sobs "But it should... shouldn't it?"  
Rapunzel broke away from the hug, but held onto Cassandras arms, and looked her in the eyes.  
"No. It doesn't, and it shouldn't either. And you shouldn't think that it matters. We all still love and care for you, Cass. Just because... that woman... is your birth mother doesn't mean that we will look different at you."  
Cassandra could only nod, and let herself be escorted by the princess to her room.

When they arrived at Cassandras room they gave each other one last hug and went to their rooms.  
Cassandra sat down on her bed and thought about the conversation she just had with her friend.  
While she couldn't understand how Rapunzel can be so kind and forgiving, she was glad for it.

Once she left Cassandra and went to her own room, she could process the information she just got from her friend.  
'So that's why she acted so... strange after the house of yesterdays tomorrow...'  
It all made sense now, but one thing she didn't understand was why she wanted to take the moonstone.  
How is Gothel being Cassandras mother relevant with her destiny?  
But she could only be happy that it never came to Cassandra taking the moonstone. Who knows what could've happend after that.  
The rocks weren't completely gone now, she knew that, even though the one in the Dark Kingdom receded.  
So there's still more work to do. That would explain to why she could free Quirin with the incantation.  
The sundrop and the moonstone are still in her, and not reunited.  
Rapunzel already knew that sleep was going to come slowly that night.

\---

When she woke, she already knew that she wasn't alone.  
Cassandra sat up in her bed and saw the Ghost Girl sitting in a chair across her room, "What are you doing here?"  
The ghost looked at Cassandra with an evil grin, "I'm here to tell you something, since you were unable to do what I asked of you." She stood up from the chair and hoverd over to the bed.  
Cass stood up and looked down at the transparent figure.

The girl looked up, still with that grin on her face, and began to speak again, "An ecplise is coming... and just so you know, Rapunzel still has the sundrop and the moonstone in her. Once the ecplise starts the sundrop and the moonstone will become physical once again, and do you truly think that Rapunzel can survive that?"  
The atmosphere began to get colder and darker, and Cass knew that she cannot trust this ghost, but then again, what if she was right? Even Adira said that the energy of both, the sundrop and the moonstone, can kill someone.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Cass looked towards the door and back to the girl, only to find that the ghost has dissapeared again.  
"Cass, are you awake?"  
Cassandra took a deep breath and sat down on her bed again, "Yeah, come in."

When Rapunzel entered and saw the distressed look on her friends face she went over to the bed and sat down beside her, "Is everything alright? I heard you talking to yourself again."

Cassandra knew it was time to tell Rapunzel the truth. Again. But this time would be much more comfortable than the last time, but explaing why you talk to yourself, which you don't because you talk to a ghost no one else can see, can be bit hard. "I... I'm not talking to myself."  
Rapunzel looked confused, "Then... who were you talking to?"  
Cassandra looked down and held her shaking hands together, "Ever since the house of yesterdays tomorrow there is this ghost girl following me. She only appears when I'm alone and tells me to do these things and..." Rapunzel put a hand over hers to stop the shaking, "she was the one who showed me the cottage. She was the one who told me to take the moonstone and I wanted to go through with it!" 

Rapunzel wanted to say something when her friend started to cry and get louder, but Cass beated her, "I even tried it! If Eugene hadn't held me back who knows what else that ghost could've brought me to! And I would have done it! I was just so done with being overlooked and being told what to do and yet I listen to a random ghost who's name I don't even know!" 

Cass didn't continue, she broke into sobs and cried.  
Rapunzel held her friend and rubbed her back, "But everything is okay now... nothing of that happend and you don't listen to her now, do you?"  
Cassandra shook her head while she was in Rapunzels arms. It felt good, being accepted, and most of all being heard.  
For the first time since the beginning of the trip to the Dark Kingdom, she felt truly good.

They sat there for a while, until Cassandra sat up again and rubbed the last tears of her face.  
"Actually.. Raps.. she told me something before you knocked."  
Rapunzel still held Cassandras hands in hers and looked her friend in the eyes.  
"She said that... an ecplise is going to come. And the moonstone and the sundrop are still in you, of course we don't know if that's true but... she told me that you could die when the ecplise begins."

Rapunzel wanted to tell Cass that the sundrop and the moonstone are still in her, that's why she came here in the first place, but was now the time?   
Better now then never.  
"That's actually why I came to you. The incantation from the great tree still works. I used it to free Quirin, and the rocks are still there... so I think that ghost might have told you the truth. But we don't know if it's the full truth.. right?" Rapunzel gave a small smile to her friend.

Cassandra looked at Rapunzel and returned the small smile, "Yeah... right."  
They sat in silence for a while before Cassandra stood up and got ready for the day.  
When Cassandra came out of her room, now in her normal tunic, Rapunzel smiled at her, "So... wanna get some breakfast?" "I'd love to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you find any mistakes, please let me know!  
> Sooo the next chapter is already in the making, and I have a question for you.  
> Should I pre-write a few chapters and then post these regularly or just post the chapters once they're finished?  
> I'm fine with either option, so until I have some answers I'm just gonna post them once they're finished. But If you'd like it more with a regular upload schedule, I'll do that :)
> 
> If you have any questions, ask ahead! But I'm not gonna spoil too much ;D  
> Have a nice day!


	11. Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian tells Rapunzel about the thrid incantation and they try it out.  
> Meanwhile, Cassandra struggles with a demon who wants to get into her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally done :D  
> I could've made this a lot longer, but decided against it because it has almost been 2 weeks since the last update ,_,  
> So here is a longer chapter than usual!   
> Have fun reading :D

After Cass and Rapunzel ate together, they went to Rapunzels room to discuss the day. Rapunzel still had her Princess duties after all. And while Cass wasn't her lady-in-waiting right now, she could still help.  
So they went to her room and Cass pulled out the list with the duties for the day.  
"Okay, so you have free time until three in the afternoon but then you need to go to a meeting together with your parents and after that it's diplomatic stuff where you just have to sit and listen and learn... the usual. And at six in the afternoon you're free again for the day."

Rapunzel sat down in front of her mirror and combed through her short brown hair, "And... do you have any plans for today Cass?"

Cassandra rolled the list back together and sat down on a chair, "Well... we still need to tell Eugene about... you know."  
"The ghost?" "Yes... that too." "Oh."  
Rapunzel hadn't even thought about Eugene and... Gothel. But then again, Gothel did kill him so... he has a right to know, right? "And we should check on Varian." Cassandra continued, "Maybe he found something on the scroll already. And we know that this ghost can get into our head so it would probably be better if we check on him more often."

Rapunzel nodded and got up, "Okay so... should we tell Eugene now or after the meeting?"  
Cassandra let out a sigh, "I guess now would be better. That way we have it behind us. I mean... you don't have to tell him if you don't want to it's my problem so..."  
Rapunzel put a hand on Cassandras shoulder to stop her from talking, "Hey, you don't need to do that alone, I'm here for you. And so will Eugene."

\---

They found Eugene together with Lance in the kitchens and told Lance that they need to talk to Eugene alone for a minute. Eugene excused himself and they went outside. It was 2pm and the sun was shining, really not unusal in the kingdom of Corona. Almost no cloud in sight and a slight breeze going through the air, "Okay ladies, what'cha need me for?"  
"We need to tell you something." Rapunzel took Cassandras left Hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze. Cassandra didn't look Eugene in the eyes. How could she? Her mother was the person who killed him! And just because Rapunzel was fine with it didn't mean that he had to be fine with it too.

"So, what do you need to tell me?"  
Cass took a deep breath before telling him the same story she told Rapunzel.  
How she saw that ghost in the house of yesterdays tomorrow and how she found out who her mother was.

Eugene wasn't sure what he was expecting when Rapunzel and Cassandra came to him and told him they need to tell him something, but most definitely not this.  
"Wow...ok.. that's uhm..." Rapunzel looked him the eyes, so she already knew. Well ok why would Cass tell him before telling Rapunzel... "That's... okay, right? I mean it doesn't really change anything. I am the son of a crazy man who was under isolation for 25 years and says his thoughts out loud because he doesn't realize that he's talking to himself again."

In reality, Eugene was more shooked then he let on. But what he said was still true. It's not going to interfere with their friendship, but he'll still need time to process this...  
"And there's another thing we need to tell you." Rapunzel let go of Cassandras hand, who seemed less nervous than before, and looked at him with a worried face. "That ghost who showed Cass the cottage in the woods is the one who tried to get her to steal the moonstone. And she's not gone, she's still telling Cass to do... certain things."

"Okay now I'm confused. There's a little girl in the form of a ghost who's telling Cassandra what to do since the house of yesterdays tomorrow? Are you sure Cass is not just going crazy?"  
Cassandra crossed her arms, "I know what I see and hear Fitzherbert."  
"Okay okay but what are we supposed to do about it? I mean we can't see her so how do we stop it."  
Rapunzel took Eugenes hands in hers, "I don't know yet, but we will figure it out."

\---

At six Rapunzel was finally free from her duties for the day, and she still had a certain alchemist to visit. She hadn't seen him in quite a while, not since she gave him the demanitus scroll to translate.  
He was so happy to translate it she hoped he remembered to sleep and eat. The sun was starting to set so she had to be fast on her way to Old Corona. Eugene met her out in the court yard and wanted to come too, so now they were on their way to Varian.

"Do you think he can translate it?" Eugene asked on their way through the forest. "If anyone can, then it's him." Rapunzel trusted Varian, more than ever before. And she knew that he could do it. Maybe Xavier could be a good help too, since he is the historian in Corona. Come to think of it, that's not a bad idea to suggest they work together. Ever since they teamed up on the day for the treasure hunt, she sometimes saw them together working on all kind of machines.

When they arrived in Old Corona they were greeted by the villagers who where working in the fields. The sun was still shining with a few clouds in the sky.  
They rode Maximus to Varians house and got off him. They saw Quirin in the fields and waved to him, "Hello Quirin!" He saw them and waved back before going back to work. Eugene gave him a suspicious glance, "I'm a little bit surprised by how easy he's going back to his normal life. I mean, his son was Coronas number one enemy at one point and he was trapped in amber for almost two years and now his old King is here and he's just... living like nothing happend?"  
Rapunzel went up the stairs towards the door and knocked, "Does your father even know that Quirin lives here?"

Before Eugene could answer, the door opend and Ruddiger immediately climbed onto Rapunzel and hopped from her shoulder to Eugene, "Ruddiger let them come in first!" Varian came out and pulled Ruddiger off of Eugene and set him on the ground, "Sorry for that."  
Rapunzel smiled, "No problem, we're glad that we finally found the time to visit you again!"  
Varian returned the smile and gestured for them to come in.

"I guess you're here to check on the translation." Varian lead the way to his room where he was keeping the scroll. On the way. he told them about the third incantation. "Do you think you could... you know... try it out?" 

Rapunzel wasn't sure if that's a good idea. On one hand, it'd be extremely helpful if they knew what the new incantation does, but it's another one from the moonstone. The last one... wasn't helpful at all.

She rememberd the loss of control she felt when she began to sing the incantation for the second time. She was able to tell Lance to carry Eugene out of the Tree. But she couldn't snap out of it.  
As the tree began to crumble around her, she saw Cass in the corner of her eyes coming towards her.  
The next thing she heard was Cassandras scream while her hand was burning.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Rapunzel turned to Varian who was now sitting in front of the scroll and going through some of his notes, "I'm.. not so sure that's a good idea. The last Incantation from the Moonstone hurt Cass and I... I don't want to hurt anybody again."  
"But it also freed my father. And we don't know what this one does until we try it out, right? Maybe it's actually something that could help us with the remaining rocks!"  
Varians hopeful face was enough to convince her, but under one condition, "Okay.. let's do it. But not here, and not without Cass. I know a place in Corona where we can try it out."

\---

Meanwhile, Cass was trying to get some rest before heading to Varian. She promised Rapunzel she would meet her there once she feels better. But she has been feeling sick for a few hours now.  
It started with a light headache, but quickly grew into a worse feeling of nausea.

She was lying on her bed, the covers long discarded, and cursing herself for not being able to keep her promise. The moon would be rising soon, and until then Rapunzel would probably be back already. Well, it depends, if Varian found something on the scroll it could take a long while 'until they're back.

She rolled over to her side, hoping it would ease the ever growing headache, but it was to no use.  
Owl looked at her, brows furrowed. He flew from the window to one side of her bed and hooted.  
"It's just a headache, I'm gonna be fine."

She rolled back and looked at the ceiling and grunted.  
"Cassandra..."  
She knew that voice too well, "Ugh... leave me alone." Cassandra looked around, but couldn't find the ghost anywhere in her room.  
"Let me in, Cassandra..."  
Suddenly, it felt as if someone was scratching on the inside of her skull with a knife.  
Cassandra cried out in pain and closed her eyes. Owl hooted again, but she wasn't able to answer.

Holding back tears, she pulled her legs onto her and grabbed her head with her hands, trying to stop the pain in her head.  
"Stop trying to fight me, I've already won."  
The pain in her head grew worse again, and Cassandra was sweating and breathing heavily.  
Then all of the sudden, black.  
She couldn't feel anything anymore. The pain and the nausea was gone. But she also couldn't see, couldn't or touch anything.  
Just numbness.

\---

It was getting dark when Rapunzel, Eugene and Varian arrived in Corona. They were on their way to the place where Rapunzel would say the new incantation, but she was starting to get worried because Cassandra didn't show up at Varians lab. She told Varian and Eugene to go to the demantius chamber, but since neither of them where ever there, they went with her to Cassandras room.

Rapunzel knocked on her former handmaidens door and waited for an answer. When no answer came, she knocked again.  
This time, the door opend and Cass stood there, looking a little bit rough.  
"Oh, hi Rapunzel, I just wanted to get going. Am I too late?"

Rapunzels alarm bells immediately went off. Cass was acting a little bit strange... but then again, she had been sick earlier after all.  
"Are you feeling better? You didn't show up at the lab and since we had to go back here I wanted to check on you."

Cassandra smiled, "Yes, everything is okay. So, anything new concerning the scroll?"  
"Yes! I found a new incantation on it and we... uh.. Rapunzel is going to try it out!" Varian, who had been beside Rapunzel, now came little bit more towards Cassandra.  
"It's seems like another moon incantation though so... we need somewhere safe to do it, and Rapunzel said she knew just the place."

The group of four started to head to the demanitus chamber, but before they could enter the tunnels, Cassandra stopped them, "If it's another moon incantation... are you sure you want to try it out in a place unstable like the demanitus chamber? What if something explodes or... destroys something.  
The whole cave could fall down on us."  
Eugene had a thoughtful look on his face, "You've got a point there, Cass, but then where are we going to try it?"

"We could try in the forest. No people and space, perfect for something like this." Varian responded before Cass could.  
And so, they went to the forest.

Once they were far enough away from Corona and made sure that no people where around, Varian wrote the translation of the thrid incantation on a sheet of paper he had with him in his bag.  
Eugene, Cassandra and Varian hid behind a tree trunk, which was laying on the ground, and Rapunzel stood in the clearing of the forest.

She held out the parchment and began to read the incantation,  
"Crescent high above,  
Evolving as you go,"  
The ground beneath her began to rumble, and she looked to the others as if to ask if she should continue. Varian and Cassandra nodded, while Eugene looked worried for his girlfriend.  
What no one noticed was how Cass grabbed something out of her bag that she took with her.

It was the artifact from the spire, which could contain a certain amount of the incantation energy.  
"Raise what lies beneath,  
and let the darkness grow."  
Black rocks started to emerge from the ground, and blue sparkles appeard to dance around Rapunzel.  
"bend it to my will,  
consume the sunlight's glow,"  
The rocks began to grow bigger and bigger, and more and more began to erupt from the earth.

Cassandra opend one end of the artifact, and some of the blue sparkles flew in it. She closed it again, and the one end shone blue now. She tucked it back in her bag before anyone could notice.  
"Rise into the sky,  
and let the darkness grow,  
let darkness grow."

As soon as Rapunzel stopped saying the incantation, Eugene ran to her and engulfed her in a hug and gave her a kiss. "Is everything okay Sunshine? Are you hurt?"  
Rapunzel shook her head, "No... everything's fine. Just feeling... a little drained."  
They stood up and went to Varian and Cassandra, who where still standing behind the fallen tree.  
"The third incantation controls the black rocks... amazing! Do you think you can make them dissapear with the incantation too?"  
Eugene put a hand on Varians shoulder, "Let's give her some rest, okay?"  
Varian looked a little bit dissapointed, but didn't say anything against it.

They started to head back to Corona, Old Corona for Varian, but before they seperated, Varian asked them if they could come back tomorrow, "It seems like there is a fourth incantation on the scroll, but I can't find anything..."   
Cassandra smiled at him, "I still have some time left, I could come with you and help you now."  
Varian nodded, "Okay Cassie—Cass, if you're sure. It's already pretty late."  
"Oh don't worry," she shrugged, "I've got nothing to do today."

Rapunzel noticed the unnatrual behavior of her friend again, but she promised Cassandra once that she'd only help when asked.

So, Eugene and Rapunzel went back to Corona for the night, while Cassandra accompanied Varian to his lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions, please ask ahead. I don't know if I made that one thing clear enough, my friend says I shouldn't directly say what happend with Cass but I hope it's pretty clear.  
> Anyways, if you find any mistakes or have questions, please let me know :D


	12. Liberate the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra is trapped in her own mind, while Zhan Tiri helps Varian with the fourth incantation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finisheeedddd.  
> Sorry for the long wait, but writing 700 words takes a lot of time for me and then writing at least 1k words that streches into 2k words takes even more time.  
> I have terrible writers block sometimes, but eyyy at least it's coming somedays xD
> 
> Hope u guys like it :D

Cassandra woke up and the only thing she saw was black. She looked around, and couldn't see anything. The floor felt... strange. Wet, but still hard, and her gloves didn't soke when she touched the ground. Cassandra stood up and began to walk, hoping that she'd find anything that could tell her where she is.

"Hello?" She called out into the darkness, maybe someone would hear her?   
Still determined, she walked further and called out again, "Is anybody here?"  
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble and a voice she knew too good responded.  
"Hello Cassandra, I thought you'd never wake up."

Cassandra looked around, trying to find the ghost in the blackness, "Where are you? And where... am I?"  
A chuckle echoed through the black void, "You are in your own head, locked away safely until I don't need your body anymore."

Cass began to get frustrated, if the ghost was really controlling her body, who knows what she'd do with it? "Get out of my head and leave me alone!"  
The ghost laughed, "Oh not yet, I still have some work to do."  
"Who are you...?"  
"And I thought you were smarter than this..."  
The next thing Cass saw, we're visions rapidly showing images in front of her.

"You're... Zhan Tiri." The images stopped and Cass sat down, too shocked to trust her legs to hold her up.   
"Took you long enough, well, I need to get back to work. Have fun, Cassandra."

And Cass was alone again.

\---

The moon was starting to rise when Varian and Cassandra arrived at his lab. Varian put on a candle and went to his desk, followed by Cassandra who sat down in a chair beside him.  
"So, the only information I've got regarding the fourth incantation is that here," he pointed on a paragraph on the scroll, "stands that there is one, and from a... weird dream I had a while ago. There was this creepy little girl who said to me 'use the sun to see the sun'. And I have no idea what she means with that."

Zhan Tiri smiled, the boy had no idea that this little girl was possessing his friend, and she wanted to keep it that way, "Have you tried using the sun on the scroll?"  
Varian looked confused at her, "What do you mean?"  
"A beam of sunlight, concentrated on the scroll." Varian looked thoughtful, "Well... it'd be worth a try, but right now we can't try it out, it's night."

"Then we'll meet tomorrow at the clearing where Rapunzel used the third incantation."  
Varian nodded, "Okay, uhh when?"  
Zhan Tiri stood up and began to walk out of the room, "At two in the afternoon, Rapunzel is free there too."

They said their goodbyes and Cassandra went out of the room.  
Just then Varian noticed that Cass didn't use Rapunzels nickname. Not only that, but she has been acting a little bit weird the whole day. He knew she has been sick, but that behaviour isn't the aftermath of some fever or cold.  
He decided to keep an eye on her, he had heard that she has been through a lot lately, and didn't want to press it. But he couldn't help but feel a little bit uneasy around her.  
After he put out the lights and tucked the scroll safetly away where only he would find it, never know what kind of thieves are hiding in the area, and went to bed, hoping that the next day would be fine.

\---

The moon was high up in the sky when Zhan Tiri arrived at the Castle. No one suspected a thing, and that was just perfect for the demon.   
She walked through the corridors and into Cassandras room. And even though her cover was holding out well, what she didn't know was when Cassandra would start fighting against the control and at one point, regain it.  
She held her back the best she could, but even that barrier can be broken.

She just had to get the power of the fourth incantation and release herself from her prision.   
Getting the moonstone and the sundrop would be the next step, but she can only do that during the eclipse.

The demon sat down on the bed and closed her eyes, waiting for the sun to rise.

\---

A knock on the door woke Varian up the next morning, "Varian, breakfast is ready!"  
Varian stood up and rubbed his eyes, "Coming dad, just a minute." He changed his clothes and went into the kitchen, where his das was already sitting at the table. "Good morning dad." Varian sat down and began to fill his plate with eggs and bacon.

"So, do you have any plans for today?" asked Quirin after a few minutes of silence.  
"Yes, actually, Cass and I want to translate the fourth incantation. And if possible, let Rapunzel say it and see what it does."   
Quirin became uneasy, he didn't want his son to get in danger with the magic of the moonstone. He knew second hand how powerful and destructive that power can be. 

But he also knew now that Varian isn't a child anymore, but still, a father can't help but worry, "Please, be careful with this magic, Varian. I do not want you, or anyone else, to get hurt."  
Varian poked at his food, lost in thought, and then replied, "Yeah, I know dad. We'll be careful."

After they finished breakfast, Varian took the scroll and a few other supplies and packed his backpack. He still had a lot of time until he'd have to meet Cass at the clearing, but he already got up and started to walk through the forest.

On the way, Ruddiger climbed up a tree and got two apples, one for himself and one for Varian.  
"Thanks buddy." Varian bit into his apple while Ruddiger climbed onto Varian to eat his.

When he arrived at the clearing, he took off his backpack and laid down onto the grass and closed his eyes, waiting for Cass to arrive.

\---

"Varian."  
"Not now... just a few more minutes..."  
"Varian."  
"No... I don't have school today lemme sleep.."  
"VARIAN!"  
Varian startled up, and looked frantically around him, only to see Rapunzel, Eugene and Cassandra.  
"Oh, sorry, I guess I uh.. fell asleep." he rubbed the back of head and stood up.  
"You don't say, sleeply head." Eugene laughed, "We wanted to let you sleep but we are kind of at a schedule here so the Dragon Lady chose to wake you up."  
Varian chuckled and bent down to get the scroll out of his backpack.

"So, you two found anything out yesterday?" Eugene asked.   
"Well, Cass had an idea and now we're trying it out." Varian held up the scroll against the sun, but to his disappointment, nothing happened.  
"Hm.. oh! Right, a concentrated beam of sunlight... okay I need a... prisim or a glas or something like that."

Rapunzel went up to Varian and tapped against his goggles, "How about this?"  
"That could work!" hummed Varian and took off his goggles.  
Rapunzel took the scroll and held it up so that Varian could use his goggles to create the beam.

On the backside of the scroll, a text started to appear. "It's working guys!" cheered Rapunzel.  
Once the whole text was on the scroll, Varian wrote a translation down and gave it to Rapunzel.  
"Do you think it will heal again? Like the first sundrop incantation did?"  
Rapunzel looked thoughtful, "I don't know, but there's only one way to find out."  
Rapunzel sounded unsure, and Eugene walked to her and put a hand on her shoulder,  
"Sunshine, you don't have to say it if you don't want to. If you think that it's too dangerous, we won't force you to." 

"I know." answered Rapunzel and stepped forward into the clearing.  
The others took that as their cue to go and hide behind the tree trunk again.

Rapunzel took a deep breath and looked at the piece of paper with the incantation.  
"Power of the Sun, Gift me with your light"  
She started to feel dizzy, and her eyes rolled back into her head.  
"Shine into the dark, restore our fading sight"  
Her eyes shot open with a yellow light shining out of them. Her short hair started to stand up in all directions, and it was glowing yellow like her eyes.   
"Rise into the dawn, Blazing star so bright."  
She started to levitate above the ground, her face held no emotion anymore.  
"Burn away the strife, let my hope ignite."

A wave of yellow light shot out from her, destroying the black rocks from the third incantation.  
Zhan Tiri used that moment to ctach the energy that came together with the blast.  
"Let hope ignite."  
All black rocks were in pieces on the ground, and Rapunzels hair stopped glowing.  
She fell limb on the floor, eyes closed.   
Eugene rushed to her as soon as she hit the floor, "Rapunzel!" He was on his knees next to her limb body, checking for a pulse. He released a breath he didn't know he was holding when he found it.  
He picked her up, bridal style, and walked back to the others.  
"She's unconscious, we should get her into the castle and to the royal medic."

They walked out of the clearing to where Max and Fidella we're waiting for them. When they saw an unconscious Rapunzel in Eugenes arms they walked over to them and looked at her with concern. With the help from the others Eugene managed to get onto Max, still holding onto Rapunzel. Zhan Tiri mounted on Fidella, and Varian said his goodbyes, "I have to go... but please tell me when you need my help."

The ride back to the castle was quick, no one dared to speak or make a sound. Zhan Tiri knew that something like this would happen, and it was just what she needed now. No one would interfere with her plan for the next few days, except maybe Cassandra, but she still had her under control, and in only a matter of time, she wouldn't need to anymore.

When they arrived at the castle, Eugene climbed off of Max and ran into the castle to get a medic.  
He ran as fast as he could to the hospital wing. He laid Rapunzel down onto a bed and called for a medic. In a matter of seconds one appeard and started to ask questions. How did it happen, how long has she been unconscious already etc.

Shortly after Eugene arrived in the hospital wing, Rapunzel's parents as well as the guards have been alerted of the incident. Her parents came into the hospital wing as fast as they could to check on their daughter.

The medic said that she should be fine, and just needs rest, even though he couldn't be sure since the cause of the problem was the incantion.   
But one thing was clear, Eugene was not leaving her side until she'd wake up.

\---

What no one noticed during all the panic because of the princess, was one person who snuck out of the castle at midnight.

Zhan Tiri was just a few steps away from releasing herself from her prision, and she would not let anybody stop her now.  
Once she was far enough away from the castle, she took the bag off and laid it down beside her.  
Inside were a few goo bombs that she stole from Varian when she was helping with the translation, the cloak that can change someones appearance that Cassandra stole from the spire.   
She pulled out the artifact, wich was now filled with the energy of both, the sundrop and the moonstone.

She opend both sides at the same time, and a bright light erupted from it, clashing against each other.

As she left Cassandras body, which fell limb on the ground, she flew into the portal that was opening as the clash of sun and moon took place.

The light soon faded, and a few trees were blown over by the force, Zhan Tiri was back again.  
"Ah... it's good to be back..." she took in her form, still in the disguise of the little "innocent" girl.  
She streched a bit, and then looked at the limb body on the ground.

"Well... I don't have any need for you anymore. But I also can't let you walk around freely now, can I?" She pulled a rope out of the bag and began to firmly tie Cassandra to a tree.  
She knew that Cass could usually escape easily, but after being possessed for such a long time, she wouldn't have the energy left. 

Zhan Tiri knew that sooner or later, Cass would be free. But everything the girl knew now was that she wasn't imagining the "ghost".  
That would not interfere with Zhan Tiris plan, for now, she'd just have to prepare for the ecplise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If u have questions, ask ahead :D  
> And thank u all for the positive feedback :)


	13. Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Captain is worried for his daughter, who hasn't returned from the last trip.  
> Eugene is still sitting by Rapunzels side, and waiting for her to wake up.  
> Cassandra is falling, and lands in Corona.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, shorter chapter then the last two. The next one will probably be around 1k-2k words. Idk yet.  
> Hope it was worth the wait!

It was way past midnight, and Eugene was still sitting beside Rapunzel, waiting, hoping for her to wake up.  
Sure, the medic said that she would be fine, but as long as Rapunzel wasn't awake, Eugene wouldn't  
be getting any rest soon. The king and the queen came in earlier to see what happend to their daughter.  
Eugene explained to them what happend, with the incantation and the outburst of energy.

They left a while ago to go to sleep, and after that, Eugene was alone in the room together with the princess.  
As Eugene was thinking about the events of the day, the door opend behind him.  
He turned around to see the Captain, a worried look on his face, and he sat down beside him.  
"How is she?"  
Eugene looked back at Rapunzels closed eyes, "Still alive. Hopefully waking up soon..."

"Have you seen Cassandra?" The Captain asked, and Eugene shook his head, "No, not since we arrived at the castle."

The Captian grumbled, while it wasn't unnatrual for Cassandra to dissapear without telling anybody, she wouldn't leave Rapunzel while she's unconscious, she's too loyal for that.  
The Captain stood up and walked towards the door, but stopped when Eugene spoke up, "Are you going to search for her?" "Yes, she was sick yesterday and has been through a lot lately, I wanna make sure that she's okay."  
Eugene thought for a short moment, "I know just the guy who could help you searching."

\---

Cassandra fell. After Zhan Tiri left, she wandered through the void and looked for anything that could help her out. She was in her own mind, so surely there has to be more in here than just blackness.  
But after a while, she felt a tug and started falling.  
Afer a few seconds of just darkness sourrounding her, a mix of blue and white appeard, a heaven with clouds. She fell through the clouds and then she saw Corona, the only problem now that she was still falling, and falling fast.

When she was about to hit the floor, she held her arms over her head and screamed.  
But then she felt nothing.  
Cassandra opend her eyes and started to slowly stand up. She landed on the marketplace of Corona,  
but she didn't feel anything when she hit the ground.  
Cass looked around and saw a few people walking around, no one seemed to have noticed the girl falling from the sky.

Still confused and shocked from the fall, Cassandra started to go to the castle, hoping to find Rapunzel there and warn her about Zhan Tiri.

When she walked towards the castle, she saw Xavier, working on a new sword. His eyes met hers and he waved her. She waved back with a smile, and started to think that maybe Zhan Tiri just... left her body?  
She didn't know what exactly happend but what she needed to do was to get to Rapunzel.

When she walked around a corner though, she was back at the marketplace.  
"What the..." she started walking the same path she took earlier, and when she walked pass Xavier, he once again waved her. She gave him a smile and headed the same way from before.  
Again, when she walked through the corner, she saw the marketplace.  
This time, she walked back again around the corner, and was now met with the entrence of the castle. "What is going on..." muttered Cass to herself.

Once she was inside the castle, she headed for Rapunzels room, hoping to find the princess there.  
No guards where guarding the palace or the throne room, and Cassandra began to worry that something might have happend. She started to walk faster, and before she knew it, she was before Rapunzel room.

She opened the door and, to her luck, found Rapunzel and Eugene sitting on the bed. Eugene noticed that Cassandra had entered and greeted her, "Hello CassANdra, haven't seen you since yesterday."  
Cass began to speak, but was interrupted by Rapunzel, "Cass! Where were you?"  
"I uh.. don't really know. Zhan Tiri was in my head and controlled me, and I was in a void and suddenly I fell and landed here in Corona. But... something is wrong, when I was trying to go to the castle I had--"  
This time, it was Eugene who interrupted her "Hey hey hey, slow down a bit dragon lady. So who controlled you now?" "Zhan Tiri."  
Eugene and Rapunzel looked confused, and Cassandra even more so, "The ancient demon... who has been getting in my head for a few months now?"

"We don't know what you are talking about, Cass... are you sure you're okay?" puzzled Rapunzel.  
Eugene stood up and walked over to Cass and patted her on the shoulder, "Maybe it's just too much paper work, I mean, you haven't been Captain for very long ---"  
"Hold up, what? Captain? What are you talking about?" Cassandra said perplexed.

Rapunzel got up now too, "Cass, you have been Captain for a month now... your dad retired after your succeed during the battle of Old Corona."

Cassandra started to back away, "This isn't real, is it? I'm still in my head... I...."  
Eugene held her arm in a firm gripp, "Cass, this is real. Maybe you should rest a bit, take break from all the work." Cass pulled away, "No. No matter how good this here might be this isn't real."

She took off in a run, not knowing what to do next. Her feet took her to her fathers room, he was always there for her, maybe not the most nurturing or open person in the world, but he would know what to do. And if this was still her head, he'd be just like she remembers him, right?

But when she opened the door to his room, she was met with darkness and once again began to fall.

\---

"I am really surprised that you asked me to help you finding Cassandra. I think we started on the wrong foot, and this is a great chance for us to get along better!"

The Captain was starting to regret letting Fitzherbert get someone to help him. Of course Eugene would think that his best friend would be a great help in finding his daughter.  
The two we're walking through the forest, they've already checked her usual training grounds and the shops in Corona. But no one had seen her.

"Also, I don't think I've ever thanked you for letting Eugene and me take the case of the silent striker...s back then. The two girls have become a part of our little family."  
The Captain looked at Strongbow, and saw that the man truly cared for the two little girls.  
"Nothing to thank me for. The king ordered me to let you handle the two."  
Cap looked around, hoping to find a trace of his daughter, but was again met with nothing.

After a while of walking, they found a few trees that fell over and were lying on the path before them. They looked over to were the trees stood, and saw that many more have fallen down.  
They climbed over one of the trees, and saw a crater, where some trees fell around it.  
On one of the trees that still stood, they saw Cass.  
She was unconscious and tied to the tree.

"Cassandra!" Her father ran over to her, and gently shook her shoulders in an attempt to wake her.  
Meanwhile, Lance went around the tree and began to untie her. "Cassandra, please wake up."  
He shook her again, but she wouldn't stirr.

He checked for a pulse, and was relieved when he found a normal beating pulse. Once Lance removed the ropes, the Captain carried his daughter bridal style, and together they went back to the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, short explanation here:  
> The "Corona" where Cass was, is supposed to be her wishes. She's still in her head and needs to find a way out herself.  
> But after Zhan Tiri was in there, plus her emotional struggle, her head isn't as straight forward as one might think lol.  
> Also, the fanfic is supposed to have 16 Chapters rn. But that can still change if I decide to cut the last in half.
> 
> And again, if u find any mistakes, let me know so that I can correct them!


	14. Living Fears

As she was falling, she heard a voice, her voice.  
"You'll never get out, you insolent child." The demon was once again talking to her, and Cass felt shivers going down her spine. "And even if you'd get out, what do you think you'll find? The sundrop happily running into your arms?" Zhan Tiri laughed, and Cass fell, and fell, and fell, and could only listen to the demon jeering at her.

"After everything that I have done while I was in possession of your body, no one will welcome you home anymore..."

And she hit the ground. But this time not in Corona. She was in a void again. Cassandra looked around, and thought about what Zhan Tiri, if it even was the demon, and not just something her mind had made up, had said.  
What did Zhan Tiri do while she was controlling her? The thought of that made Cassandra shiver once again. 

Suddenly, she felt a breeze on her skin. A wind blew widly, and slowly, structures emerged.  
No, destroyed structures. Corona. In ashes.

Cassandra saw the kingdom, destroyed and burning, covered in black rocks. But they got rid of the rocks. Right?  
What did Zhan Tiri do, and what made the demon her do? Cassandra began to panick. What if this was real? "It's just in my head..." she whispered to herself.

She walked through the streets, and then she saw people running for their lifes.  
Under those people were Rapunzel, Eugene, Lance and Varian.  
She wanted to run to them, to ask what was happening, when she was met with a sword blocking her way.  
"What are you doing here, lady in waiting?" 

Hector stood before her, and stared at her with an angry look.  
"I-I don't know how I got here or what's going on but I need..." she couldn't finish her sentence. Hector knocked her over with his foot. "You're the reason this has happened. You let the demon into your head. Are you happy now? Everyone is going to die because of you."

Cassandra closed her eyes, and told herself over and over that this was not real. Hector stood over her, and pressed a foot on one of her hands. "Is this what you've been waiting for?"

Memories of the great tree came flooding back. The scene changed.  
She was back in the tree. Hector not over her anymore, but instead covered in green glowing roots.  
Rapunzel stood before him, her hair already around the green glowing roots.  
Cassandra felt herself moving to Rapunzel, and she tried to stop her again.

She felt her hand burning again, and saw the blue fire engulfing her arm. But it didn't stop like last time. It grew and grew, up her arm to her shoulder. She heard herself shrieking. Her whole arm was black now, and the fire was creeping further over her body.  
She fell to her knees, but she couldn't see or hear anything anymore. Her ears were ringing and her vision blurring, until she was met with darkness.

When she woke up, the pain was gone. She looked at her arm, and saw her tunic, her hand covered with her glove.

Then she looked at her surroundings and saw a wall made of pink shell.  
She was in the House of Yesterdays Tomorrow. She turned around and saw herself, clad in the armor from the great tree, walking into the room where she met Zhan Tiri for the first time.

She tried to call out to herself, to stop her from going inside the room, but when she opened her mouth not a single sound came out.

The scene changed again, and she was in the moonstone chamber. She stood as a spectator further away, and watched her past self running towards the moonstone.

Only this time, Eugene didn't stop her.  
Rapunzel stumbled backwards, looking in horror at her friend, "Cassandra? What are you doing?!"  
Then she saw the angry look in her own eyes, "I'm fulfilling my destiny!"

A bright light errupted and she was knocked over, laying on the ground again.

Cassandra looked up and saw the sky, tinted grey, and found herself in the destroyed version of Corona again. She stood up and searched for a way out.

When she turned around, she saw Rapunzel standing a little bit away from her.  
The resentful look in the eyes of the princess made Cassandra almost flinch.

"You are no better than her." Rapunzel clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes, "We should've gotten rid of you after you tried to take the moonstone."  
Cassandras eyes widened, and she freezed in place.  
This isn't real, this isn't real  
Angry tears started to fill the eyes of the ex-blonde "You truly are Gothels daughter."

Cassandra didn't notice the tears that we're running down her face and just stood there, silent.  
Then her father came into view, he too looked angry, more angry then she has ever seen him.  
And it scared her, but she couldn't do anything but watch.  
"I knew taking you in was a bad idea..." His armor was scratched and dirty, and his forhead bleeding. "I don't know what I thought at the moment. That I could raise you? That you could be any better than her? I was naive, and I won't make that mistake again."  
He pulled out his sword, and started to run towards Cassandra.  
Just when he was about to hit her, her vision had gone dark once again.

\---

Eugene was still with Rapunzel in the hospital wing when Lance opened the door, and the Captain walked in, together with an unconscious Cass in his arms.  
"What happened?" he asked as the Captain put Cassandra on a free bed. Lance sat down and began to explain, "Well, first we wandered around in the outskirts of Corona, looking for any sign of Cass, and then we saw that tree that fell on the road. And when we looked over to where the tree stood, we saw Cassandra tied to a tree, already passed out, and untied her and brought her here."

After the medic checked on Cass, and said that she doesn't have any injuries, the three men were alone with the two unconscious girls in the room. Eugene was the one who broke the silence, that streched far to long for his liking, "So.. any idea to why Cassandra was tied at a tree?"  
The Captain shook his head, as did Lance.

Then, they heard a groaning coming from Rapunzel. Eugene turned around and took one of her hands in his, "Sunshine? Are you okay?"  
Rapunzels eyes fluttered open, and she smiled when she saw Eugene, "Yeah... I think it was just... too much." She groaned again as she tried to sit up, "What happened?"  
"Well, when you started the incantation you... levitated, all the black rocks in the area were destroyed and then you passed out. We carried you back here as soon as possible."

Rapunzel looked around, a little bit suprised when she saw the Captain sitting near another bed.  
But when she looked closely... "What happened to Cass!?"  
Eugene had to stop Rapunzel from standing up, while Lance gave a quicker version of the explaination to the princess.

"She's gonna be okay, right?" "We hope so..."

\---

A few days after Rapunzel woke up, Stan knocked on her door while she was trying to distract herself with painting, "Come in!"  
Stan opened the door, "Hello princess, I have a message for you."  
Rapunzel put her paintbrush down and walked over to Stan, "A... good message or a bad one...?"  
Stan laughed, "I'm sure this one is a good message. Cassandra woke up, and she--"

Before he could finish Rapunzel was already running down the corridor towards the hospital wing.  
She opened the door with a little bit to much force, and looked towards Cassandras bed.  
"Cass!" She ran over to her friend and hugged her, "You're finally awake!"  
Cassandra chuckled, "Yeah... uh... I was unconscious for like three days. That's not much."  
"It felt like forever." Rapunzel let go of Cassandra and set down on a chair beside her.

"So... what happened? Why were you in a forest tied to a tree?"  
Cassandra looked down, thinking about how to tell her. "I... what... what did I do after I was sick?"  
Rapunzel looked confused at her, "What do you mean? In the evening you went with us and I tried out the third incantation and after that you went with Varian and helped him with the fourth."

Cassandra took a deep breath, "That ghost that I saw ever since the House of Yesterdays Tomorrow returned when I was sick. She... she started to controll me. She... she's Zhan Tiri."  
"What?" Rapunzel looked at her in a mix of confusion and shock, "But... but Zhan Tiri is gone."  
Cassandra shook her head, "No, no she's not. She took controll over me and trapped me in my mind.  
I.. I had to find my own way out..." she discarded the thought about her travels through her own mind, "I think she's free now."

Rapunzel took Cassandras left hand in hers "Are you sure?"  
Cassandra nodded, "Yes. And she wants to get the sundrop and the moonstone on the ecplise."  
"Then we still have time to prepare." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again a short explanation:  
> Zhan Tiri is not in Cassandras mind. Cass went through her nightmares/fears etc. to get out of her mind. That's what happened.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it! Cya Next chapter!


	15. We're Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone takes a small break before the fight that will come.  
> Varian meets a few old friends of his father and tells Rapunzel, Eugene and Cassandra that he found a way to defeat Zhan Tiri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look at that. A chapter.  
> (I am so sorry that this took so long but I got... distracted... with... games... and shows... yeah I really have no excuses BUT it is here after all that time!
> 
> Please forgive me xD)

The preparations for the fight against Zhan Tiri were in progress. The whole town of Corona agreed to help, after a speech from the princess.  
Everyone was given weapons to defend themselves with, since nobody knew exactly what Zhan Tiris plan was for the eclipse.

In the backyard of the castle, Rapunzel and Eugene were having a nice little picnic. It was Eugene idea to have a picnic even though they could be attacked at any moment, but he said that he wanted to talk with her, and why not make it a small little date in the yard.

The sun was still shining, and the eclipse would be in a few days. The flowers in the garden gave off a nice scent and a light breeze blew through the trees.

"So, Sunshine, what do you think will happen once the eclipse beginns...?" Eugene took out two sandwiches and placed them on two plates. Rapunzel took one of the plates and gave a thank you before answering, "I'm.. not sure, Eugene. The rocks may have receeded but the power of the Sundrop and the Moonstone are still there. No one knew what would happen once I took the moonstone but this... this wasn't supposed to happen this way. We still need to reuinte the stones and... if Zhan Tiri plans to take the stones on the eclipse maybe I'll be able to reuinte them too."

Before Eugene could take a bite of his sandwich, he stopped and put it back on the plate, "We... we don't know what will happen to you if you'd do that, honey. You could...."  
"I know." Rapunzel put her hands on his, "But it has to be done."

\---

Meanwhile, the Captain and Cassandra have gone for a small camping trip to clear their head before the battle. The last few months have made a few things clear for the Captain. He should've spent more time with Cassandra when she was younger, and he defenetly should have given her a chance with the guard. But now, he tries to make it better.

It came as a surprise for Cassandra when her father knocked on her door this morning, on his back a full packed backpack. When he asked her if she'd like to go camping, she immediately packed her own bag.

So now, they were on the edge of the forest, near a lake. The small tent already set up together with a campfire.

They were sitting at the fire and telling each other stories again, and at one point, Cass told him what she saw when she was trapped in her mind.

"It felt so real... I didn't know what to do. It all changed so fast too! First I was in Corona and Hector he---" The Captain stopped her, "Who is Hector?"  
Cassandra thought for a moment of how to tell him, "He is a member of the brotherhood I told you about, together with Quirin and Adira. He is also the guardian of the great tree, we had to go through it to get to the dark kingdom."

The Captain noticed how Cassandra went quieter when she mentioned the great tree. And he then noticed that she never told him about anything about that part of their journey.  
He looked at her as if waiting for her to continue.

"When we were inside that... tree.. we got seperated. Eugene, Lance, Pascal and Max took a wrong turn, so Hookfoot, Adira, Fidella, Raps and I were the only ones who were there when Raps found that Incantation. It's the counterpart of the healing incantation."

When the Captain saw how uneasy Cassandra felt while telling this, he put a hand on her shoulder, "Honey, you don't have to tell if you don't want to."  
Cassandra shook her head, "No, I.. I need to tell you what happened."

Cassandra told her father about everything that had happened at the great tree. How Rapunzel used that incantation and suddenly breathing became hard, and everything around them began to decay.  
And that Hector attacked during the night... and how Rapunzel had to use it again to defeat him when he was controlled by the tree.

"When she... used the incantation, she told me that she can't control it. The whole tree was beginning to fell down on us. She told me to run but I didn't listen. I ran up to her and when I touched her..."  
Cassandra took a deep breath, and instead of telling her father what happened, she showed him.

She started to take off her glove, and exposed her burned, blackened hand.  
The Captains eyes widened, but before he could say something Cassandra continued to talk, "It doesn't hurt anymore. It did for a few weeks, and it sometimes still stings but, it's just numb now. Can't really feel anything." She put her glove back on and left it at that.

\---

Quirin was not having fun.

To say that he was surprised or shocked when his former "co-workers" knocked on the door would be an understatement. He was having a calm nice cup of tea when he heared the knocking on the door, and shortly after that Varian called that he'd get it.

When he stood up to look who the visitor was, he forgot how to breath for a moment.  
"Hello Quirin, long time no see." Said his former King, behind him stood Adira and Hector, and of course, Hectors binturongs and a rhino.

A few villagers where looking suspicously at their front door, espacially at the animals.  
"My King... but.. what are you doing here?" Meanwhile, Varian stood behind his father with a confused face. He didn't know any of those people, except for the dark king, but him only from seeing too. 

"I was already here for a while, actually." Edmund responded, "Adira and Hector came when they heard about a threat and also I asked them to come!"  
Through the whole conversation, Adira had her smug face and Hector his usual frown. 

"Dad? Who are these people?" Quirin looked back and saw his son standing there, and then he gave a small sigh and motioned for the three warriors to come in.  
"This is going to be a long story..."

\---

"You were a knight!? That is so cool! Why did you never tell me?" To say that Varian was excited would be an understatement. Before Quirin could answer, Hector spoke up, "Because he fled and betrayed his kingdom."

Adira kicked Hector under the table, and looked him in the eyes before saying, "He met your mother and decided it would be safer to sattle down in a quite place like this. And there is nothing wrong with that. Right, Hector?"

Hector stayed silent. "So... what brought you here?" Asked Quirin when the silence became to uncomfortable to bare.  
King Edmund responded first, "I came here a few months ago to spent some more time with my son! At that time I hadn't known that you lived here, and when I found out I wrote to Adira and Hector so that we could all catch up again!"

Adira nodded, "I also came to lend a hand in the upcoming fight. Rapunzel wrote me a while ago that the demon Zhan Tiri has come back to take revenge on Corona. And while I normally keep myself out of other kingdoms businesses, who knows what Zhan Tiri does after he-- she destroyed Corona."

Hector responeded with a simple, "She dragged me."

\---

One day later, the group met in the castle. Varian asked Rapunzel, Eugene and Cassandra to come. 

"Okay Varian, why did you want us to meet at 7am again?" Said a sleepy Eugene.  
Varian pulled out a book from his bag and put it on the table, "I found a way to defeat Zhan Tiri."  
That gave him the attention he needed, "While I was translating the scroll, I also found out that Demanitus banished Zhan Tiri to some kind of... netherworld. But the machine he used to do it was dismantled centuries ago." "Can you built it again?" asked Rapunzel.  
"If I had the plans. But Demanitus took his only blueprints to his tomb." explained Varian, who laid the book out on the table so that everyone could look at what he found.  
Eugene took the book and began to read, "So... let me guess. This tomb is thounsands of years old and no one knows where it is."  
"Well.. I wouldn't say no one knows." replied Rapunzel.

\---

Of course they had to climb a snowy mountain and then came to a wall with a riddle. Perfect.  
Rapunzel waked towards the wall and read the riddle outloud, "I grow but do not live. I need air but do not breath... hmm any ideas?"

Cassandra looked with an amused smile at Eugene, who shivered from the snow. "Maybe Horace here has an idea."  
"By the love of god, please do not call me Horace. Anything else is fine but NOT that."  
Cassandra chuckled, "Okay, I can respect that. But you know I had to tease you at least once with that name."

"Guys, concentrate, please?" Rapunzel looked at them with a pleading look on her face. "Okay, okay blondie... hmm let's see.." Eugene took a closer look on the wall and thought... "I bet Lance would know. He is good with this kind of stuff."

Varian mumbled somthing under his breath that sounded a bit like "but touches everything he is not supposed to" but Eugene didn't really hear it.

After a few seconds of silence, Varian nearly shouted "I've got it! It's fire!" Rapunzel pulled out one of Varians inventions, a portable torch, and smacked it against the wall.  
The fire illuminated the wall and the engravings started to glow.

Varian looked with stars in his eyes as the cogs started moving and the gate started to open. "Okay, come on nerd we need to get going." Cassandra nudged Varian out of his stare, who chuckled in return, "Yeah alright alright I'm coming."

When they went inside, a strong smell of... bananas?  
"What the..." Eugene slipped on a banana peel. Rapunzel helped him get back up.  
In the chamber were many many many monkeys, "This must be were Demanitus found Vigor."  
Eugene looked unimpressed around, "So this must be his great, great, great monkeys. Great."  
They walked towards the book that was on the table. Rapunzel opened it and looked through a few pages until she found the one with the portal, "This is it! Lord Demanitusses plans!"  
"You did! Excellent! Now... could we get out of here."

\---

When they were back in Corona, they gave Varian the blueprints so that he can built the portal. They decided to built it in the courtyard of the Castle, were they would hide it until they lured Zhan Tiri to it. 

What no one noticed, was how Zhan Tiri was already there. Hidden amongst the crowd, with a cloak that disguised her as just another Coronan.


	16. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their Adventure comes to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changed the rating to T because of the mention of blood. Nothing really graphic tho, just wanted to be sure.

The eclipse was nearing, and Zhan Tiri was hiding in the castle, trying to get as much information as possible to find out what her opponents are planning. She was disguised as a Handmaiden, so no one would pay her much attention while she wanderers through the Castle. 

As she was passing by Misses Crowley, she saw Rapunzel and her friends through a window.  
They were walking towards the market, and since the Eclipse would begin soon, she decided to follow them.

"Do you think this will work?" Asked Rapunzel when they arrived at their destination.  
"Well, I didn't test it, but according to the plans it should work," explained Varian, who has spent the morning building the portal. "Now, the only question left is how we lure Zhan Tiri here."  
At that point, Cassandra spoke up, "She wants the Sundrop and the Moonstone, who will have to be reunited during the eclipse. So I guess that since both of them are inside of Rapunzel right now, there will be a way to do this during the eclipse. And when that happens, we have to--"  
"Use me as bait." Rapunzel stepped forward, "I trust you guys to keep me safe."

"When everything goes wrong and you do fall with Zhan Tiri inside the portal, we can always turn it back on... but that would give Zhan Tiri a chance of returning too..." Varian looked at Rapunzel with worry. She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry about me, I am sure that everything will be fine."

\---

They were all together on the market and looked into the sky where the moon was starting to go over the sun. Suddenly, Rapunzel yelped, "Rapunzel!" Eugene and Cassandra shouted out and ran towards her. "Is everything alright?" Eugene held her in his arms, looking worried.  
Before Rapunzel could answer, she went limp in his arms and two glowing orbs started to appear on her chest, one yellow and the other blue.

"The Sundrop and the Moonstone..." Varian whispered from where he watched the whole scene.  
"She needs to reunite them now!"

Before anyone else had a chance to say something, a smoke bomb exploded in their mid.  
Everyone started coughing, and no one noticed the little shadow sneaking up behind Rapunzel until it was too late.

Zhan Tiri grabbed both stones off of Rapunzel, and slowly, the smoke started to recede. "Finally... they're mine!" 

Everyone was shocked as they looked at the demon, "I'd like to thank all of you, for bringing me what rightfully belongs to me..."  
Zhan Tiri started laughing when the stones moved to her inner forearms.

Eugene pulled Rapunzel away from the demon as she started to transform. Everyone backed away as the little girl slowly ascended into a giant, black, figure with goat-like horns and tentacles.

She started laughing as she looked down at the group, "At last... the power is mine. I've dreamt of wielding the moonstone and sundrop for centuries!!" she started laughing again, and Eugene took the opportunity to throw his sword at one of her eyes.

Zhan Tiri saw it in the last second and blocked it off with a yellow rock.

"Nice try... pretty boy." She raised her hands, ready to make another attack before long, brown hair clasped around her arm.  
"I am all about people living out their dreams..." Rapunzel stood up behind Eugene, "but today? Not so much."

Zhan Tiri started to walk towards her, ignoring the others standing around her with their weapons drawn, "You may have been a worthy adversary once princess... But now you are nothing!"  
She swung her arm fast, and Rapunzels hair was thrown back at her.

"That's it!" Cassandra called out, as Lance and her charged at the demon with their swords, and Varian threw a bomb at her.

Zhan Tiri blocked off the bomb and Lance, but Cass managed to cut Zhan Tiris' arm.  
It started to bleed, and Zhan Tiri knocked Cass away with one of her tentacles.  
Then, the wound healed itself. 

"It was nice to chat with you, but now I need to keep the promise I made long ago."  
Yellow rocks started to sprout out of the ground, trapping them all in cages.

"Hey!"

Zhan Tiri turned around and saw the citizens of Corona, weapons at the ready. The two Kings, the Captain and a member of the brotherhood stood at the front.

The Captain drew his sword, "Leave my daughter alone."  
The citizens began to charge. From farmer to handmaid, everyone was attacking the demon.  
But to no use. Zhan Tiri blocked their attacks with ease, and when she got hit, she healed herself right away.

"I've grown tired of this... Wither and decay...."  
as she said the incantation, everyone started to go down. Everyone went pale, let their weapons fall, and at last, they fell onto the ground.

Rapunzel clung to the bars of the cage when she saw Cass holding her right arm, "Cass...".  
Just as Rapunzel's eyes started to close, she heard footsteps behind her.

In a flash, the cage was cut open.  
"Come on Sundrop, we don't have all day."  
"Adira..." Adira helped Rapunzel to stand up and gave her a potion that she got from Varian.  
She then walked to the other cages and freed Eugene, Lance, Varian, and Cassandra.  
The only one who didn't go down was Varian, who took a sip of his potions earlier already.

As they regrouped, Varian explained that he used his research to make some kind of antidote for the decay incantation, just to keep them up for a while.

"Okay... let's end this."

Cassandra and Adira charge first, Zhan Tiri's back was turned to them, so they had the element of surprise on their side.  
They both land a cut on her cheek, and before she could recover, she was met with a smoke bomb that was flying towards her face.  
"Take that Zhan Tiri!" said Varian, as he pulled out another one.  
"You think you can defeat me? Pathetic."  
She charged with a wave of yellow rocks. Adira jumped seconds before her arm would've been hit out of the way.  
The others were dodging the rocks as best as they could. Cass got grazed on her chest and hissed in pain before dodging more of the rocks.

What no one noticed, was how Rapunzel slipped away during the fight. So it was a surprise to everyone when Zhan Tiri suddenly went down, the princess standing behind the demon, and the frying pan, clattering on the ground.  
"Hurry!" she shouted, and ran to one of Zhan Tiris arms and started to push it towards the other.  
Everyone ran to the arms and started to push.

The Sundrop and Moonstone started to flicker, and it got harder to push them together as they got nearer. But with the strength of them altogether, they did it.

\---

When Rapunzel woke up, the first thing she noticed was the headache. She groaned as she sat up, and immediately looked around for the others.  
She saw them all lying on the ground and no sight of the demon.  
The portal, completely forgotten during the fight, lay in rubbles too.

The third thing she noticed, was the stone that hovered above the ground.  
She heard the others groan as they woke up, one after another.  
Eugene came to her as soon as he was awake, "Are you okay sunshine?" She nodded, "Yeah... just a small headache."

Cass came to them now too, still holding her side. "Oh my god, are you okay Cass?" Rapunzel stood up and ran towards her friend. "Yeah, just a little scratch. Nothing I can't handle."

"It's time, princess." Rapunzel jumped and turned around to see Adira. Then she looked back to the Stone, which was still hovering in their mid.  
She looked around and saw the Coronans still lying on the ground, and started to walk to the stone.

It started to flicker again, and a burst of energy pushed her back, but that didn't stop her.  
She tried again, and this time, grabbed the stone.  
"Flower gleam and glow,"  
The people started to move again.  
"let your power shine,"  
Cassandra's side stopped bleeding,  
"make the clock reverse,"  
Eugene felt the few scratched he had being healed,  
"bring back what once was mine."  
The King started to stand up, together with the Captain and Edmund,  
"Heal what has been hurt,"  
The yellow rocks started to disappear,  
"Save what has been lost,"  
Every Coronan was standing again,  
"bring back what once was mine,"  
Cassandra felt her right hand tingle,  
"what once was mine."  
Rapunzel fell, the stone disappeared into the sky.  
\---

"Rap...leas...up."  
"Su...ne?"

Rapunzel heard distant voices, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. Was she asleep? Was she dying?

"My da...hter... ple...e... I ca..t ..se you a...n..."

There were more voices now.  
"I th..k sh.. wak... p."  
Another voice, was that Cass?

"Rap...?"  
The first voice again.  
"Rapunzel?"  
She saw Eugene right above her face. "Hey, Eugene."  
He had tears in his eyes, which were now shining with relive, "Sunshine, you're okay!"  
He hugged her, and she noticed that she was lying in a bed. In the infirmary. There were other people in the room too, in the corner of her eye she saw Cassandra and her father, both also looking relieved.

"It's okay, Eugene, I'm okay." He kissed her and stepped back, "We thought we lost you.."  
"The rocks and Zhan Tiri are gone, you did it Sunshine."

Rapunzel smiled as she looked at the people in the room. She could see her Mom, Varian, and Lance now too. "I couldn't have done it without any of you."

\---

The next few weeks were spent with repairs, and many, many changes.  
The Captain retired and gave his position to Eugene.  
Eugene didn't take that very well, and the first thought he had was that Cass was going to murder him.

But the Captain then told him that he and Cassandra are going to go away from Corona, once the repairs are done.

Rapunzel was spending as much time with Cassandra as she could, and made her promise to sent letters.

During the first week after the battle, Lance announced that he adopted Kiera and Catalina, and they were now living in their treehouse in Old Corona.

Speaking of which, Varian moved out of his home, and into the Castle. He was now the Royal Engineer and Alchemist (much to Crowley's dismay). 

And Rapunzel, she couldn't be happier and was certain that even if her destiny may be fulfilled, she hasn't had her last adventure yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will stick to oneshots from now on ,_,  
> (Or write a whole story before posting it)  
> I am sorry for the long wait, but at last, here it is.  
> I think you can see that I lost interested in this story, but I hope you could enjoy the rushed chapter anyways :)


End file.
